Despite the appealing blandishments of pet food advertisements with their claims of providing "complete and balanced nutrition," if you're not exceedingly circumspect, you may end up feeding your pet chicken heads, road kills, spoiled or moldy grains, cancerous material cut from slaughterhouse animals, tissue high in hormone or pesticide residues, and even shredded Styrofoam packaging, metal ID tags and minced flea collars. 

A growing number of veterinarians state that processed pet food (kibbles and canned food) is the main cause of illness and premature death in the modern dog and cat. In December 1995, the British Journal of Small Animal Practice published a paper contending that processed pet food supresses the immune system and leads to liver, kidney, heart and other diseases. Dr. Kollath, of the Karolinska Hospital in Stockholm, headed a study done on animals. When young animals were fed cooked and processed foods they initially appeared to be healthy. However, as the animals reached adulthood, they began to age more quickly than normal and also developed chronic degenerative disease symptoms. A control group of animals raised on raw foods aged less quickly and were free of degenerative disease. 

The pet nutrition industry is a multi-billion dollar industry full of hype and false claims. Consumers are being duped into believing that they are feeding their pets healthy foods, when in actuality they are feeding nothing more than inferior meat meals, cheap grains (including corn and soy), fillers, by-products, pesticides, preservatives and toxins.  Never before has the pet-food industry been rocked by widespread contamination and rampant recalls. In all, more than 5,600 products by dozens of pet food makers have been recalled, from chain supermarket brands to prescription-only foods. This is a staggering number of products, and is unprecedented in this business. Thousands of deaths are due to the contamination, and many thousands more have suffered illnesses. We shudder to think of the long-term impacts of the compromised liver and kidney function and how this will affect thousands of companion animals in America. Leading experts believe that the severe reactions experienced by some cats and dogs were the result of an interaction of chemicals, between the melamine and a list of other culprits, including cyuranic acid.  Read the latest about the pet food recall. Thousands of Cats and dogs suffered kidney failure, and many died after eating the affected pet food. 
 

Dr. Don E. Lundholm, D.V.M. - "We are seeing disease conditions in animals that we did not see years ago. Many of these may be traced to nutrition as the source..."

The primary ingredient in many dry commercial pet foods is not protein but cereal. Corn and wheat are the most common grains used but, as with the meat sources, the nutritious parts of the grain are generally present only in trace amounts. The corn gluten meal or wheat middlings added to pet foods are the leftovers after the grain has been processed for human use, containing little nutritional value. Or they may be grain that is too moldy for humans to eat, so it's incorporated into pet food.

Mycotoxins, potentially deadly fungal toxins that multiply in moldy grains, have been found in pet foods in recent years. In 1995, Nature's Recipe recalled tons of their dog food after dogs became ill from eating it. The food was found to contain vomitoxin, a mycotoxin. Harmful chemicals and preservatives are added to both wet and dry food. For example, sodium nitrite, a coloring agent and preservative and potential carcinogen, is a common additive. Other preservatives include ethoxyquin (an insecticide that has been linked to liver cancer) and BHA and BHT, chemicals also suspected of causing cancer. The average dog can consume as much as 26 pounds of reservatives every year from eating commercial dog foods. 

Class Action Lawsuit Filed Against Pet Food Companies and Retailers For Misleading Consumers about the Contents of Pet Food  Premium” Pet Food Marketed and Sold as “Complete and Balanced” Has Historically Contained Such Items as Euthanized Dogs and Cats, Restaurant Grease, Hair, Hooves, and Diseased Animals, and Other Inedible Garbage.

Do You Really Know What's In Your Pet's Food?  Listen to holistic veterinarian Dr. Jane Bicks D.V.M., 12 minute free audio presentation to learn more about how you can improve the health, well-being and longevity of your cherished pet.

 Buy Quality All Natural Healthy Pet Food and Treats Made with Human Ingredients

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FOOD NOT FIT FOR A PET
Dr Wendell O. Belfield, D.V.M.

Rendering plants process decomposing animal carcasses, large roadkill and euthanised dogs and cats into a dry protein product that is sold to the pet food industry. One small plant in Quebec, Ontario, renders 10 tons (22,000 pounds) of dogs and cats per week. The Quebec Ministry of Agriculture states that "the fur is not removed from dogs and cats" and that "dead animals are cooked together with viscera, bones and fat at 115° C (235° F) for 20 minutes". 

The US Food and Drug Administration's Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) is aware of the use of rendered dogs and cats in pet foods, but has stated: "CVM has not acted to specifically prohibit the rendering of pets. However, that is not to say that the practise of using this material in pet food is condoned by the CVM."

Some of these dead pets - those euthanised by veterinarians - already contain pentobarbital before treatment with the denaturing process. According to University of Minnesota researchers, the sodium pentobarbital used to euthanise pets "survives rendering without undergoing degradation". Fat stabilisers are introduced into the finished rendered product to prevent rancidity. Common chemical stabilisers include BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole) and BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene) - both known to cause liver and kidney dysfunction - and ethoxyquin, a suspected carcinogen. Many semi-moist dog foods contain propylene glycol - first cousin to the anti-freeze agent, ethylene glycol, that destroys red blood-cells. Lead frequently shows up in pet foods, even those made from livestock meat and bone meal. A Massachusetts Institute of Technology study, titled "Lead in Animal Foods", found that a nine-pound cat fed on commercial pet food ingests more lead than the amount considered potentially toxic for children.

"Vegetable protein", the mainstay of dry dog foods, includes ground yellow corn, wheat shorts and middlings, soybean meal, rice husks, peanut meal and peanut shells (identified as "cellulose" on pet food labels). These often are little more than the sweepings from milling room floors. Stripped of their oil, germ and bran, these "proteins" are deficient in essential fatty acids, fat-soluble vitamins and antioxidants. "Animal protein" in commercial pet foods can include diseased meat, roadkill, contaminated material from slaughterhouses, faecal matter, rendered cats and dogs and poultry feathers. The major source of animal protein comes from dead-stock removal operations that supply so-called "4-D" animals - dead, diseased, dying or disabled - to "receiving plants" for hide, fat and meat removal. The meat (after being doused with charcoal and marked "unfit for human consumption") may then be sold for pet food. 

In 1981, as Martin Zucker and I wrote How to Have a Healthier Dog, we discovered the full extent of negative effects that commercial pet food has on animals. In February 1990, San Francisco Chronicle staff writer John Eckhouse went even further with an expose entitled "How Dogs and Cats Get Recycled into Pet Food."

Eckhouse wrote: "Each year, millions of dead American dogs and cats are processed along with billions of pounds of other animal materials by companies known as renderers. The finished product... tallow and meat meal... serve as raw materials for thousands of items that include cosmetics and pet food." [See sidebar, ''The Dark Side of Recycling," Spring 1990 ElJ.] more

John Anderson -"110 Million Sick Pets?—There are an estimated 55 million dogs and 63 million cats living in American households. Given the appalling condition of most commercial pet foods, it’s a wonder there are any healthy pets walking around anymore. "Nature never designed canine or feline kidneys to handle the volume of impurities that come their way," states veterinarian Al Plechner, DVM, author of Pet Allergies: Remedies For An Epidemic" The result is fatigued, irritated, damaged and deteriorated kidneys after several years of life. Left untreated, the toxic buildup leads to vomiting, loss of appetite, uremic poisoning and death."

Recent studies have shown processed foods to be a factor in increasing numbers of pets suffering from cancer, arthritis, obesity, dental disease and heart disease, comments Dr Wysong. Dull or unhealthy coats are a common problem with cats and dogs and poor diet is usually the cause, according to many veterinarians and breeders. The AAFCO nutrient profiles may play a role here, in the "balanced" nutritional levels they recommend may be inadequate for an individual animal. Life's Abundance is a quality healthy kibbles for dogs and cats that do not use these practice 

It is estimated that up to two million companion animals suffer from food allergies. Dr Plechner believes that the commercial pet foods are a primary cause and can contribute to a host of health problems. "Among pets, there is a widespread intolerance of commercial foods," he states. "This rejection can show up either as violent sickness or chronic health problems. It often triggers a hypersensitivity and overreaction to flea and insect bites, pollens, soaps, sprays and environmental contaminants."

Feline urological syndrome, a chronic condition similar to cystitis in humans (characterized by frequent urination with blood in the urine), is an increasingly common and potentially fatal illness in cats. It has been linked to elevated levels of ash and phosphorus, two substances commonly found in commercial pet foods. High iodine levels are seen as a contributing factor for thyroid tumors in cats. "New diseases are being discovered that are linked to ‘100% complete’ diets," states Dr Wysong. These include "polymyopathy (a muscle disorder) from low potassium levels, dilated cardiomyopathy (heart muscle disorder) from low taurine levels, arthritic and skin diseases from acid/base and zinc malnutrition and chronic eczema from essential fatty acid malnutrition," he reports. Given the high possibility that your favorite pet foods may be slowly poisoning your cat or dog, it’s crucial that you find brands you can trust to be animal friendly."   Class Action Lawsuit Filed Against Pet Food Companies

The Following Practices are Used by Some Pet Food Manufacturer:

POOR PROTEIN SOURCES
Soybean Meal, Wheat, Corn Glutens, Corn Meal, Whole Corn, Crushed Corn and Ground Corn are commonly used for their protein content in many pet foods.  These ingredients are generally poor sources of protein vs. meat.

CHEMICAL PRESERVATIVES 
BHA, BHT and ethoxyquin are found in many pet foods. Scientific studies have proven that these chemicals can be harmful.  In fact, they have been shown to promote liver disease and other medical problems.

FOOD COLORING
Food colorings are still commonly used in pet foods today despite the fact that they are not necessary and some have been linked to medical problems.

BY-PRODUCTS
By-products can vary ... they can consist of the internal parts of animals such as necks, heads, undeveloped eggs, feet, intestines, lungs, spleen and liver.

WHAT LABELS DON'T REVEAL
Condemned parts and animals rejected for human consumption can be rerouted into commercial pet foods.  These condemned parts are referred to as the 4 D's: dead, dying, diseased or decayed.   We believe this is one of the most despicable practices in the pet food manufacturing industry.

Some manufacturers have a lower standard regarding the quality of ingredients they use to make pet food.  A recent example of this practice is the discovery of Pentobarbital in major pet foods, including supermarket brands.  Pentobarbital is a chemical used to euthanize animals.  Many holistic veterinarians feel that daily ingestion of pentobarbital can be harmful.

Many manufacturers cut costs by using the cheapest ingredients available at the time a food is made.  Since costs rise and fall, some manufacturers will vary ingredients from batch to batch .. resulting in changed nutrient values for each batch and possible digestive illness.

Some manufacturers have lower standards regarding the freshness of ingredients they use to make pet food.  You can not determine the freshness of ingredients by reading a label; you must trust the pet food manufacturer. 
 

Do You Really Know What's In Your Pet's Food? Listen to Dr. Jane Bicks holistic veterinarian 12 minute FREE audio presentation to learn more about how you can improve the health, well-being and longevity of your cherished pet.

NOTE: The Healthy Pet Company  believes that your companion animal deserves the very best. Their veterinarian-formulated products include only human-quality ingredients, to ensure the health and well-being of dogs and cats. These healthy pet food contain no wheat, corn, potentially harmful chemical additives, artificial colors or flavors. Their holistic foods are made with an exclusive “fast-cook” process, to lock in natural flavors and nutrition, in order to help build a strong foundation for a long and healthy life for your pet. Choose a food that reflects your love for your companion animal.
 

Food Pets Die for : Shocking Facts About Pet Food by Ann N. Martin

A must read for all veterinarians, and for all pet owners! "We need to pay attention to what we are feeding our animals. Not only as this book says, with the food, but also we need to support their immune systems. In Super Nutrition for Dogs n' Cats extra information is provided on all the illness caused by malnutrition, mineral and enzyme deficiencies that we normally don't think of. Ever wonder why there are so many vets?...too many sick pets because of the food and lack of proper nutrients. Everyone ought to pay attention!" An amazon.com reviewer.

From an amazon.com book reviewer:  "Ann Martin's investigation into the commercial pet food industry has become a classic. This is the book I often recommend when people ask me what's wrong with (most) commercial dog and cat foods. However, I can't recommend this book without pointing out some of the errors in the second part of the book, the part that focuses on feeding a homemade diet. First of all, it needs to be said that while cooking the meat can indeed destroy bacteria and parasites (as well as destroying valuable enzymes and changing the meat's molecular structure), cooking does *not* destroy the antibiotics, pesticides, artificial growth hormones, etc., as Martin claims. The only way to avoid these harmful substances is to stop supporting factory farming and buy ethically raised, organic meats. Yes, such meat is more expensive, but personally I'd rather pay more and know that I'm not supporting the needless torture of animals and the destruction of the environment. At this point you may wonder why we feed our dogs meat at all. Well, the humans in our house are indeed longtime vegetarians, but dogs are carnivores and while they can survive on a properly supplemented vegetarian diet, such a species inappropriate diet is far from ideal. Our family's GWPs have been thriving on a diet based on raw meats and bones for thirty years now. While it's been my experience that raw diets are indeed preferable for most dogs, there are certainly cases where cooked diets are more appropriate. Some dogs -- usually due to certain medical conditions -- simply do not do well on a raw diet, and in such cases a homecooked diet is the best option.

Unfortunately the recipes offered by Ms. Martin are not properly balanced. For instance, while she is clearly aware of the correct calcium to phosphorous ratio (as well as of the damage caused by calcium deficiencies), her recipes do not contain nearly enough calcium to balance out the high phosphorous levels of the meat and, to a lesser extent, the grains. She seems to be under the impression that one can use yogurt or cottage cheese as a calcium supplement; however, while dairy products are good sources of calcium, they also happen to contain plenty of phosphorous (some types of cottage cheese actually contain more phosphorous than calcium), so obviously dairy products cannot be used to balance the meat's high phosphorous levels. The best way to supplement calcium is to feed the meat with plenty of raw bone (nature's way of balancing calcium and phosphorous) or by adding ground eggshell powder to boneless meats. Feeding a properly balanced homeprepared diet really isn't as difficult as the pet food industry and their supporters would have us believe, but getting the Ca:P ratio right is important. My suggestion: Read Ms. Martin's book to find out why it's not a good idea to feed processed pet foods (if you don't already know), but then get yourself another book to learn how to prepare a balanced homemade diet for your animals.   read an excerpt

Wendell O. Belfield DVM  - "In 1981, as Martin Zucker and I wrote How to Have a Healthier Dog, we discovered the full extent of negative effects that commercial pet food has on animals. In February 1990, San Francisco Chronicle staff writer John Eckhouse went even further with an expose entitled "How Dogs and Cats Get Recycled into Pet Food." Eckhouse wrote: "Each year, millions of dead American dogs and cats are processed along with billions of pounds of other animal materials by companies known as renderers. The finished product... tallow and meat meal... serve as raw materials for thousands of items that include cosmetics and pet food." [See sidebar, ''The Dark Side of Recycling," Spring 1990 ElJ.]"

William Pollak D.V.M - "In the wild, no one cooks for the coyote or wolf; no one brushes their teeth. Their foods are raw and unprocessed." more

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The Healthy Pet Company  believes that your companion animal deserves the very best. Their veterinarian-formulated products include only human-quality ingredients, to ensure the health and well-being of dogs and cats. These healthy pet food contain no wheat, corn, potentially harmful chemical additives, artificial colors or flavors. Their holistic foods are made with an exclusive “fast-cook” process, to lock in natural flavors and nutrition, in order to help build a strong foundation for a long and healthy life for your pet. Choose a food that reflects your love for your companion animal.

Whether you have an interest in the business or you just care about pets, you may be interested in learning about what's really in your pet food.

By talking to pet owners about the problems with inferior pet food, and offering them a solution with quality nutritious pet food and natural products, you can help hundreds, even thousands of animal's lives, and earn an income at the same time. Click here  to watch a series of 5 short video clips that will  change your life and the lives of all companion animals.

Starting your own Pet Sales Business with Healthy Pet Food, Supplements, Treats,  and Non-Toxic Grooming Supplies is easy!   Whether you are looking for a fun business to build for the first time or if you have home business experience or if you already have a business, this may be for you. Distributors are offered a personalized website and oline store, similar to this website.  (no inventory necessary - the company ships directly to your customers)  You can also call Shirley at  206-984-3009 or 323-389-0560

Testimonial 
"I want to thank you for Life's Abundance.  This food may very well have saved my dog's lives! In the last several years I've tried every "top" brand of dog food on the market - nothing but the best for my Eskies! It didn't seem to matter what food I fed them, in no time they were developing vomiting and diarhea.  In fact, I don't think my male Eskie, Ashira, EVER had a normal stool. I began researching pet foods on-line and stumbled onto your website.  After reading about commercial foods in comparison to your product, I knew I had to try it.  In fact, I was beginning to suspect either an allergy or sensitivity to gluten. All I knew was my dogs were not able to properly digest the foods I was giving them.Life's Abundance arrived the day after I ordered it and that evening I gave them a taste test to see if they liked it. You'd have thought they were eating candy! Without bothering to "wean" them off the Wellness (which was the latest brand they were eating), I plunged ahead with the LA.  They gobbled it down and actually seemed satisfied after eating their normal portions (something my female never did).  The next time Ashi had a bowl movement it was BEAUTIFUL!  And in the last week since the new food was introduced there has been no indication of vomiting, diarhea or constant begging for treats. Thankyou..thankyou...thankyou! I've already started two neighbors on Life's Abundance and plan to let everyone I know about it. I also volunteer for  Eskie Rescuer's United and plan to send out an all points bulliten about this marvelous product. Dr. Bicks...you deserve a medal for this!" Mary Rogers, Bradenton FL 

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Juliette de Bairacli Levy has experienced eight decades of living a life dedicated to the "natural rearing" of her children and animals. She speaks the wisdom we long for, the knowledge of good health and a long happy life that is our right. Yet, somehow these details got lost, buried or ignored by the "scientific" community. Juliette is a champion of the health and loving treatment of cats, dogs, children, bees, and the gypsies. Her presence is a gently formidable figure in our modern world. Juliette says that the two most important aspects of natural animal rearing are: fasting and raw diet. learn more

In her wonderful book, Wild Health: How Animals Keep Themselves Well and What We Can Learn From Them, Cindy Engles, Ph.D., documents that for  millennia  humans have observed animals in the wild eating plants and minerals and applying naturally occurring topical antitoxins from the same sources to combat infectious wounds, parasites and internal disorders. Herds of elephants risk injury and death in a perilous journey to hidden salt caves where they supplement their sodium deficient diet. Monkeys rub poisonous millipedes on their fur to repel biting, disease-carrying insects. Birds line their nests with parasite-resistant herbs. Engel details a world where nature is the pharmacy and every animal is its own practitioner. 

Dr. William Pollak D.V.M. -  "Recent studies have shown processed foods to be a factor in increasing numbers of pets suffering from cancer, arthritis, obesity, dental disease and heart disease. Dull or unhealthy coats are a common problem with cats and dogs and poor diet is usually the cause, according to many veterinarians and breeders. "Dogs, cats and other animals live for years on foods that come out of bags, cans and boxes. But do these foods promote health? If they did, our companion animals would enjoy long, happy lives free of arthritis, hip dysplasia, eye problems, ear problems, fleas and other parasites, gum disease, lick granulomas, thyroid imbalances, skin and coat problems, personality disorders, birth defects, breeding problems, diabetes, cancer and other major and minor illnesses. Before World War II, most North Americans fed their pets raw bones and table scraps. Today, everyone uses convenience foods, and pet food companies are industry giants. Diet isn't the only thing that has changed. So has life expectancy, with the life span of many breeds now less than half what it was two or three decades ago. Skin and coat problems are so common that we accept them as unavoidable, and today's vets routinely treat conditions that used to be unusual or even rare." more

More books listed at  Shirley's Wellness Cafe Animal Health Library

United Kingdom Raw Meaty Bones
Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons: Letters have been written to the RCVS, outlining our concerns over the continued promotion and sale of processed pet food by the majority of veterinary surgeons. We have expressed our concern about the influence of pet food manufacturers within the veterinary colleges. We have pointed out the huge inadequacies of manufactured pet food, and the harm it does to our pet carnivores. We have told them of the huge health improvements that we have seen in our own pets, since changing them to a raw meaty bone diet, and explained that this is seen around the world by other dog, cat and ferret owners when they change their pets to a natural diet. more

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Soy in Pet food 

A quick scan of supermarket dog and cat food labels indicates that about half of the commercial dry pet foods have soy as the main protein source, with soy appearing as the first ingredient after corn or (in some very high protein products such as kitten food) as the first ingredient.

Cheetahs and Soybeans
by Sue Ann Bowling Ph.D

This article is provided as a public service by the Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska Fairbanks, in cooperation with the UAF research community. Dr. Sue Ann Bowling is an Associate Professor of Physics at the Institute.

Pity the poor cheetahs! These speedy spotted cats managed to survive one population crisis, which left them the most inbred wild animal known. Then human inroads on their habitat and hunting for their fur shoved them toward a second population crisis, which seemed headed off by captive breeding. Now it appears that the zoo diet in North America is simultaneously killing them off with liver disease and preventing them from breeding effectively.

In 1985, 29 American zoo cheetahs died and only 18 were born, and 7 of the 18 died before adulthood. Only about 10% of North American adult female cheetahs have been producing live cubs in the last 5 years, compared with 60 to 80 % in other countries.

Since North American cheetahs mostly eat a commercial feline diet based on horsemeat and soy, while the cheetahs living and breeding more successfully elsewhere are being fed whole carcasses, a group of researchers in Ohio decided to look at the zoo cheetah's food. They found that the soybean part of the diet (the same textured soy protein and soy flakes used increasingly as a meat extender in human diets) contained natural plant estrogens, chemicals akin to mammalian female hormones and having some of the same effects. When these chemicals were injected into immature female mice, they caused damage to the mice's uteruses.

Experiments were carried out at the zoo as well as in the lab. When four cheetahs in the Cincinnati Zoo were switched to a diet based on chicken meat without soy, their liver function improved. Right now we don't know whether they will breed again or whether permanent damage has occurred.

What does this mean in terms of other soy consumers? Cheetahs are likely to be exceptionally sensitive to problems of any kind because they are so inbred. On the other hand, soy made up a relatively small percentage of the cheetahs' diet, and apparently all cats are rather poor at getting rid of extra estrogens. Our pets might face some problems.

A quick scan of supermarket dog and cat food labels indicates that about half of the commercial dry pet foods have soy as the main protein source, with soy appearing as the first ingredient after corn or (in some very high protein products such as kitten food) as the first ingredient. As a dog breeder I would hesitate to maintain my breeding stock on a commercial diet that used soy as the primary protein source, or listed soy as one of the top three ingredients. But other questions need to be answered, as well.

How about the human consumption of soy? At the present time, our western diets don't contain all that much soy, though what they do contain is often in the form of textured soy protein, which has over twice the estrogen content of soy flakes. This in itself indicates that the method of preparing soy may affect the estrogen content of the final food. Oriental diets have used soy for far longer than have Western ones. Do traditional Oriental methods of preparing soybeans for consumption remove some of the plant estrogens? I asked one of the researchers, and he replied that tofu has far less plant estrogens per unit weight than does textured soy protein. No measurements had yet been made, however, based on the ratio of estrogens to protein.

Agriculturists and plant breeders need to look at soybean estrogens, too. Do drought, temperature, soil fertility or day length affect their concentration? Do different varieties of soybeans differ in how much of these substances the beans contain? Can low-estrogen varieties be developed? The cheetah study has raised more questions than it has answered -- not an uncommon result of scientific research! Cheetahs and Soybeans from the Alaska Science Forum 

How about the human consumption of soy? 
"Dr Fitzpatrick's literature review uncovered evidence that soy consumption has been linked to numerous disorders, including infertility, increased cancer and infantile leukemia; and, in studies dating back to the 1950s, that genistein in soy causes endocrine disruption in animals." 

Sally Fallon and Mary G. Enig, PhD  - "The soybean contains large quantities of natural toxins or "antinutrients". First among them are potent enzyme inhibitors that block the action of trypsin and other enzymes needed for protein digestion. These inhibitors are large, tightly folded proteins that are not completely deactivated during ordinary cooking. They can produce serious gastric distress, reduced protein digestion and chronic deficiencies in amino acid uptake. In test animals, diets high in trypsin inhibitors cause enlargement and pathological conditions of the pancreas, including cancer. Soybeans also contain haemagglutinin, a clot-promoting substance that causes red blood cells to clump together. Trypsin inhibitors and haemagglutinin are growth inhibitors." 

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Canine Health Concern - Let Food be Thy Medicine

Following  is an excerpt from chapter 8 "Let Food be Thy Medicine" from   'Shock to the System' by Catherine O’Driscoll 

Tom Lonsdale, a wonderful vet who has sacrificed his career in order to campaign to return carnivores to their natural fare, believes that dogs, cats and ferrets should be given a diet mostly based on raw meaty bones – whole carcasses, a small amount of vegetable matter, and some table scraps.

Unlike Tom, Ian Billinghurst – another raw meaty bone vet - believes that carnivores should also be given supplements. Juliette de Baircli Levi, the pioneer in holistic healthcare for dogs, advocated the feeding of grains and raw meat to dogs. Pat McKay, another expert, believes that grains for dogs are not a good idea. Ann Martin, who wrote Food Pets Die For believes that raw meat is dangerous for dogs, that we should cook their food. And the big multinationals believe that their complete and balanced commercial food in a can or a bag is, um, all your dog will ever need.

After many years of lapping up all of the advice on what to feed my dogs, I believe that all of the above are right! Even though they disagree with one-another to a greater or lesser extent. I suppose I’m in trouble again. My reason for agreeing with them all is based upon the following exceptional experiences.

After Oliver and Prudence died, and my other dogs were suffering from thyroid disease, arthritis, allergies and autoimmune disease, I read an article in an Australian dog magazine about raw meaty bones for dogs. It was as though a lightbulb went on in my head: I had been starving my dogs to death with a complete dry dog food that wasn’t sustaining life. I immediately switched my dogs to the raw meaty bone diet, and my dogs thrived. Our vet bills dropped by 65% and, when we surveyed CHC members who had switched their dogs to the RMB diet on our advice, they reported an 85% drop in veterinary visits. People wrote to us to tell us how healthy their dogs were on raw food – glossier coats, more vitality, skin problems clearing up, lovely clean teeth, clean breath, and in some cases, medication was no longer required. We were so enamoured by the positive changes in our dogs’ health, that we invested a great deal of time and money in promoting raw feeding for dogs. That diet is now used by thousands of delighted animal guardians around the world. I believe this to be true: the vast majority of carnivores thrive on the food that Nature has designed over millions of years to sustain life. That is, prey animals like rabbits, rats, deer, mice, lambs, hens, and so on, uncooked. Dogs, being scavengers, also thrive on eggs, berries, fruit and the food that they might find in the prey’s stomach, such as grains and vegetable matter. You should see Edward on walks around the country estate we live on. He picks raspberries from the bushes and jumps to pick apples from the trees. He also enjoys catching and eating rabbits.

One day, something happened to modify my view. My friend Sally Cronk came to visit for a week, bringing her German Shepherd Etta with her. Etta hadn’t eaten raw meaty bones before, but Sally was keen for her to try the natural diet. So Etta had raw chicken wings alongside my own dogs. When Etta got home, Sally had to take her to the vets, where she stayed for several days on a drip. The reason, it transpired after some deduction, was that Etta could not tolerate the energy – the life force – in raw food. Countless generations of breeding and artificial food had modified the dog so that she could not tolerate real food.

Then, when my own Sophie reached the age of 15, she started to develop diarrhoea. I tried everything to help her: homoeopathic remedies, antibiotics, herbs – all to no avail. I happen to be extremely fortunate in that I have a friend who is a medical intuitive who is also very knowledgeable about canine health. In desperation, I telephoned her on Sophie’s behalf, only to be told that Sophie could no longer, at her great age, tolerate the energy in raw meaty bones. I was advised to switch Sophie to a tinned senior dog food and, after a while, I could revert to real food, but this time cooking it for Sophie. Gosh darnit, but my friend was right.

Principles were thrown to the wind, and the tinned food halted Sophie’s diarrhoea. After a while I was able to cook her chicken, white fish and vegetables, and she lived to a good age of 17. Then I read about a dog in the media who made it to 21. Unbelievably to me, this dog had been a vegetarian since she had been rescued as a puppy! Her owner phoned me one day so I was able to ask questions: the dog wasn’t vaccinated every year, but her owner was a serious vegetarian who studied the protein requirements of her canines and gave them the nutrients they needed by adding vegetable protein sources to the diet.

Another lady came to me with her aggressive dog. The dog was eating a dry food and I wondered whether this might be the source of the problem (since some of the commercial processed foods can provoke aggression in dogs). After much deduction, it transpired that this dog actually did very well on the dry food. Her owner had tried raw, but the result had been huge digestive upset. The difficulty, it transpired, was that the dog wasn’t sure of her place in the family, and she was behaving aggressively to balance-out her owner’s overly meek behaviour. So once again I will repeat: most dogs thrive on a natural raw diet, with some rare exceptions.

Quite a few years ago I was invited to attend and speak at a holistic dog camp run by a wonderful woman called Wendy Volhard. Wendy’s knowledge and understanding of canine dietary requirements is awesome. Her knowledge is backed by around forty years of science: she has consistently advised her followers to take blood samples for analysis from their dogs, enabling them to ascertain whether the diet is producing health or ill-health before unwanted consequences arise.

Most importantly, Wendy advocates muscle testing so that owners can work out the specific dietary requirements of their animals. And so do I. Some dogs, it transpires, fare better with lamb than beef, others better with chicken than lamb, and so on. Just like humans, dogs are not all uniform in their requirements. No individual, of whatever species, is anything other than unique.

Take a simple example: some humans (and individuals of any species) need more food than others. We know this because some lucky blighters can eat anything they like and stay slim. Others who try to get away with eating the same amount pile the weight on. Rob and I are a prime example (sob). We walk the dogs together, so our exercise levels are pretty similar. Rob is like his mother and I, sadly, am like my mother. Genetically, Rob is skinny, and I am not.

Our dogs, Edward, Dannie and Gwinnie, also have differing dietary requirements. Gwinnie is prone to putting on weight – she gets less to eat than the boys, much to her disappointment. She also fares better on white meats and good amounts of vegetable matter. Dannie tests positive for high purine foods, like beef and liver. Edward, bless him, at the age of nine, needs to avoid high purine foods. Edward’s limbs ache in the evenings, showing symptoms somewhat like gout. Gout is caused by an excess of uric acid in the body. Uric acid results from the breakdown of purines. The excess can be caused by either an over-production of uric acid by the body or the under-elimination of uric acid by the kidneys. Also, the ingestion of foods high in purines can raise uric acid levels in the blood and precipitate gout attacks in some ‘people’.

According to the American Medical Association, purine-containing foods include anchovies, sardines in oil, fish roe, herring, yeast, organ meat, beans, peas, mushrooms, spinach, asparagus, and cauliflower. Foods that may be beneficial to people with gout, however, include dark berries, white meats, fatty acids, salmon, and white fish. A herbal blend containing garlic, artichoke, turmeric, milk thistle and yucca can help lower uric acid levels in the body. Aloe vera and vitamin C can also reduce inflammatory reactions in the body. Basically, Edward needs more vegetables and fruits than Dannie does, and supplements that Dannie doesn’t need. This is reflected by the fact that Edward helps himself to fruit in the environment, and Dannie doesn’t. When I eat an apple, Edward wants some; Dannie isn’t interested.

This isn’t to say, of course, that we should always follow our, or our animals’, likes and dislikes when it comes to food. I just love chocolate and puddings, but these aren’t necessarily foods. They are designed to excite the palate – different function. We can also be addicted to the foods we are allergic to. This is why I believe we all need to find a diagnostic tool to help us work out the best diet for ourselves, and for our animals. Then, once we have established the best diet, we need a rudimentary understanding of using foods as medicine (since they can’t legislate food away from us, even though they might try to rob us of our right to use vitamins, minerals and herbs therapeutically).

I am not going to tell you in this book how to dowse or muscle test. The reason for this is that I don’t believe you can learn it on a page. You need to find someone to teach you, in person. Actually, I’m offering you a precious gift: the chance to go and meet interesting and knowledgeable people who are a little further along the road than you. You’ll get direct proof that dowsing and muscle testing is more than airy fairy unscientific nonsense. You’ll find it works. In a year or a few months, you will be where they are now: you’ll be your own expert. Go to your local health shop and ask them to recommend someone who is a Kinesiologist or a dowser. Ask around. You will find them near you. Enrol on a course or have a few one-to-one sessions. We do, incidentally, teach both muscle testing and dowsing during our Foundation in Canine Healthcare course.

There are also many books on animal nutrition which you can read. These are given in the recommended reading list. I would, however, like to illustrate some broad concepts for you to consider. It is, if you like, the skeleton over which you can add the meat.

'Shock to the System' by Catherine O’Driscoll is a sequel to 'What Vets Don't Tell You About Vaccines'. It 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.   This book will make you cry and aware of the scam that is the mainstay of the veterinary field. It is well researched and written. 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. This information can save your animals and give you the facts to present to your vet if he/she does not keep up with current science. A must for anyone who loves animals and wants to keep them safe and healthy.

More on the danger of vaccines

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The Vigilante Guardian
by Jesse Dallas 

Many pet owners are beginning to question the validity of conventional methods used by veterinarians and are concerned about the health of their dog or cat. Processed foods and drugs have seriously depleted the natural vitality and immune systems of many pets. Though natural health care for animals has been virtually non existent in the past, it is rapidly growing in popularity as a cheaper, more effective alternative.

Sadly, it os often those who care most for their pets who, through ignorance, can do the most harm. By closely identifying with their dog or cat, pet owners tend to imagine that what is good for them will also be good for their pet. However, nothing could be further from the truth. Dogs and cats are anatomically very different to humans. Their intestinal tract, for example is only about half as long as a human's, and food is therefore processed and assimilated very differently. Whereas large amounts of red meat can cause cancer in humans, a lack of raw red meat in an animal's diet can lead to serious health problems.

Animals require the enzymes, amino acids and other nutrients in the raw meat in order to stay healthy. Many skin and coat problems are a direct result of a lack of raw animal fat in the diet - fat which humans often believe is bad for their pet. Animals need at least 30% raw fat, and their systems are not designed to handle cooked meat or cooked fat. Restaurant grease has become a major component of feed-grade animal fat over the last 15 years. Often held in 50-gallon drums for weeks or months in extreme temperatures, this grease is usually kelp outside with no regard for its safety or further use. The rancid grease is then picked up by fat blenders who mix the animal and vegetable fats together, stabilize them with powerful antioxidants to prevent further spoilage, and then sell the blended products to pet food companies. Rancid, heavily preserved fats are extremely difficult to digest and can lead to a host of animal health problems, including digestive upsets, diarrhea, gas, and bad breath. In the wild, a panther or jackal does not barbecue, grill or smoke its prey. It definitely does not walk to the local supermarket to buy dry food either. Yet most pet owners recoil at the thought of feeding raw meat to their dog or cat, concerned about bacteria or parasites. However, dogs and cats don't get salmonella poisoning because their digestive system is so acidic (or at least it should be) that it kills everything. This is why a dog can bury a bone and dig it up two weeks later and eat the rotting meat. Humans on the other hand, can pick up parasites more easily because their digestive tract is nowhere near as acidic as that of a carnivore. For more information:  Will Eating Raw Meat Give My Pet Parasites?   -- enzymes and animal health

The meat contained in canned pet food is cooked, devoid of 'real' nutrients and usually contains many potentially harmful preservatives, colourings and additives. Dry and processed canned food also lack the natural teeth cleaning properties of fresh raw meat. Without the natural cleansing action of the meat on the teeth, unhealthy bacteria builds up in the mouth, causing infection and foul smelling breath. The high salt content in some pet foods can cause animals to become unnaturally high strung and nervous.

For a return to health, pets require a diet which strengthens the immune system and most closely resembles that which they would get in the wild. It's really easy to do. Essentially, you feed your pet a combination of certain raw meats and select from a host of raw vegetables. Then by being aware of a few animal nutrition guidelines, you've made your pet the best diet it can eat!

The best type of food you can feed your dog or cat is food you make yourself. It is the most natural, most nutritionally balanced, most easily digested and of much higher quality than canned or dry food. Many commercially produced pet foods contain preservatives such as BHA, BHT, or even MSG which can cause birth defects, liver and kidneys problems, baldness and brain defects. They may also be carcinogenic and what is really scary is that humans eat these preservatives also in such foods as breakfast cereals.

The salt content of many pet foods can be as high as 1000 times more salt than what your pet needs in one day. The excess salt can cause high blood pressure and heart disease in animals. Epilepsy is now more common in dogs than in humans. Semi-moist pet food usually contain as much as 25% sugar which can come in many forms such as sucrose, corn syrup, beet pulp, and caramel to name a few. Other foods can contain up to 10% propylene glycol. Both sugar and propylene glycol are linked to obesity, allergies, tooth decay and other problems like forms cancer. Propylene glycol sister ethylene glycol is used in the making of anti-freeze and to think it's in the food we feed our pets. Once again, our foods like common salad dressings contain propylene glycol also (just read the label). A relatively new ingredient in pet food is ethoxyquin which has been implicated with thyroid problems, hair loss and reproductive disorders. A component of ethoxyquin - quinoline - is regarded by some in the scientific community as the ultimate carcinogen. Ethoxyquin is made by Monsanto, the same company that makes the lawn pesticide known as Roundup, the Bovine Growth Hormone and Monsanto also makes the chemicals sprayed onto new carpets. Ethoxyquin which was originally created as a rubber hardener has also been used as a pesticide and at one point was deemed 'harmful and deleterious', but in 1958, Monsanto had its lobbyists influence politicians. The result was Monsanto had the laws changed. Monsanto must have had good lobbyists because in order to get the laws changed, it took an Act of Congress known as 'The Food Additive Amendment of 1958'. This ammendment was passed making the words in the law say that exthoxyquin was safe even though studies showed its toxicity! The real scary part about ethoxyquin is that it is undectable and so even though a label may not read it has ethoxyquin, it could be there.

Homemade pet food is not only free of such harmful additives, but has the added benefit of containing natural remedies for common ailments. Garlic for example, contains sulfur which acts as a natural flea repellent. The acidity of raw meat creates an environment in which mucous in which worms thrive disappear. Since the worms cannot survive in a healthy body, homemade pet food has the added advantage of increasing the animal's vitality and subsequently reducing veterinarian bills for the owner.

How you care for your pet's coat can be just as important as the diet. Any shampoo that is intended for external use only or is meant to kill fleas, should be avoided. If the label reads 'domestic' and has a guarantee on the label, it means it is a pesticide for home use and is therefore still a poison. These shampoos are absorbed through the skin and can damage the liver and kidneys; weaken the immune system, and will ultimately not even kill fleas. Only a strong immune system will keep your pet free of fleas. Fleas, like many parasites build up resistance to insecticide shampoos. So, the application of such products can only be harmful to your pet.

Providing natural and simple health care to your pets brings numerous benefits to both humans and pets. Those who do not feel they have time to prepare homemade food will be happy to know that it really only takes a few minutes a day and a week's worth of food can be made and frozen. Sadly, most people wait until their pet is sick before they take action. It's so easy to see your pet as being healthy on the outside, but if only we could see the inside. So get informed today because after all, your pet is a living being and your pet depends on you to take care of him or her!!!

Editor's Paw Note: The Vigilante Guardian by Jesse Dallas was first published in the June, 1995 edition of the Vancouver magazine called 'Shared Vision' and had an absolutely phenomenal reception. The information, although written 2 years ago, is still pertinent in 1997 and we hope you have enjoyed it as much as all those who read it in 1995.
 

hilarious 2 minute video of a dog protecting his bone. It will make your day! 

Raw Feeding Calculator As a general rule, a normal active dog require about 2% of its body weight per day. A highly active dog may require about 3% of its body weight per day. No two dogs are alike in their metabolic rates, age, or activity levels Puppies can use up to 10% of their growing body weight. Use the online calculator to calculate the amount of food needed by body weight.
 
 
 

Raw Meaty Bones - Tom Lonsdale, a graduate of the Royal Veterinary College in London, admits he was slow to recognize problems associated with feeding canned and dry pet foods. 'The truth is rarely pure, and never simple' said Oscar Wilde, but this book lets the truth speak for itself as it lifts the lid on the pet food industry/veterinary profession alliance. You owe it to your pet to read this book to find out what happens to dogs and cats if their diet is inadequate.

Some breeders and trainers prefer to feed their dog twice a day to avoid stressing their digestive system.  I have been feeding Shasta strickly raw food once a day to give her digestive track a chance to rest which keeps her healthier and never overweight. No two dogs are alike or have the same feeding requirement. It is entirely to the dog's owner to decide what is best for their dog. If I were to feed my dog twice a day and wanted to give kibble AND raw food, I would not mix the two together. It takes 18 hours for a dog to digest kibbles and only 6 hours to digest raw food. To prevent fermentation in the stomach which in turn causes my dog (and other dogs) to have gas, muchi and malodorous stools, I avoid mixing kibbles with raw food.  I would give the raw food in the morning and  6 hours later I would give the kibble. My friend, Pat Hartman, who is a German Shepherd expert also recommends to never feed dry kibbles to GSD. Instead, soak the kibbles first..Click here to view the commercial dog food comparison chart

Learn more: optimum diet for pets
 

Books on Feeding Raw Food to Pets
 

Concerned about Zoonosis?  Zoonosis is an infectious or parasitic disease, which is naturally passed from vertebrate animals to humans, and vice versa, e.g. tuberculosis, rabies or brucellosis. "Dogs and especially cats can shed Salmonella organisms in both their feces and saliva, meaning that transmission can occur via licking." more. -  A pet dog or cat licking your hand is a very common occurrence. Sometimes a pet may lick the face of a child, helping germs spread more easily. Animal saliva contains many pathogenic agents. more  --  If you have these concerns, learn about the healthy alternatives to feeding raw food, you can feed your pet healthy kibbles with all natural ingredients....

Healthy Alternatives to Feeding Raw Food  Natural dog and cat food with only natural, wholesome ingredients and nutrient dense with vitamins, minerals, fats and fatty acids which are essential for the optimal health of your dog or cat. No harmful chemicals are used in these pet food! They are made from the highest quality ingredients with all-natural preservatives anddo not contain meat or grain by-products, color additives, or chemical preservatives.  Learn more about these natural pet foods

Do You Really Know What's In Your Pet's Food? Listen to Dr. Jane Bicks holistic veterinarian 12 minute FREE audio presentation to learn more about how you can improve the health, well-being and longevity of your cherished pet.

Domesticated animals (including ferrets and rodents) suffer from minerals and vitamin deficiency  Our soil, plants, and especially commercial foods are woefully deficient in key nutrients.  Scientists theorize that mineral deficiency subjects us, and our animals,  to more diseases, aging, sickness and destruction of our physical well-being than any other factor in personal health. Domesticated ferrets, like our domesticated dogs and cats, are prone to suffer from minerals and trace mineral deficiency which makes them prone to diseases. A good source of naturally occuring trace minerals and vitamins for ferrets and other pets are: 

• Marine Phytoplankton Dr. Jerry Tennant, M.D. says that marine phytoplankton contains almost everything one needs to sustain life and to restore health by providing the raw materials to make new cells that function normally. Marine phytoplankton has been called "the most nutritionally dense foods on the planet". Containing a wide range of trace elements, amino acids, vitamins, minerals, chlorophyll, enzymes and cellular materials, marine phytoplankton promotes and maintains optimum health by boosting and supporting all systems within the body.
• Seaweed (kelp). Sea Vegetables (Spirulina - Kelp - Chlorella) have been acknowledged as a detoxifyer, a balanced nourishment and a miraculous healing plant. Ocean / Sea algae are the richest natural source of minerals, trace minerals and rear earth elements. 
• Fulvic minerals consist of an immense arsenal and array of naturally occuring powerful phytochemicals, biochemicals, supercharged antioxidants, free-radical scavengers, super oxide dismutases, nutrients, enzymes, hormones, amino acids, antibiotics, antivirals, and antifungals 
• Bee Pollen contains all the essential components of life. The percentage of rejuvenating elements in bee pollen remarkably exceeds those present in brewer's yeast and wheat germ. Bee pollen corrects the deficient or unbalanced nutrition, common in the customs of our present-day civilization of consuming incomplete foods.
• Flaxoil: holistic veterinarians are beginning to recommend to their clients that they supplement their animals diet with a daily dose of flaxseed oil and other nutrients for optimum health and vitality. The vets are finding remarkable results in clearing up skin conditions, relieving arthritic and inflammatory pain, as well as improved over all pet health. (Suzie Zeeman  gives flaxoil to her ferrets. She says that their fur looks shinny and thick, and feels soft and smooth since on flaxoil."
• Bentonite and Pascalite clay: It has helped cows with scours and pneumonia. Veterinarians use it on dogs, cats, horses, etc... for various afflictions including injuries and infections. Pets are helped, too. More on the health benefits of clay
• Transfer Factor Plus - Canine and Feline Formulas are advanced immune support supplements formulated  or dogs and cats (also good for ferrets).  According to veterinarians, the powerful and proprietary blend of ingredients work together to activate and  enhance the immune system's ability to respond to the many pathogens may pets come into contact with. more
• Barley Dog is the original "green" supplement made from the juice of organic Barley grass with a hickory smoked flavor. It provides active enzymes, vitamins C and E, beta-carotene, amino acids, chlorophyll, proteins and essential trace minerals. Regular use can promote healthy skin and coat, reduce bad breath, improve digestion and restore energy levels.

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Optimum Pet Nutrition
"The results of a clinical trial suggest that 74.7% of common diseases in dogs and 63% of common diseases in cats can be eliminated without medical intervention over a period of one year with proper diet modifications and an understanding of the healing process as exhibited through healing episodes. Approaching disease from the perspective of health is the most powerful means of eliminating disease. Poor fuel makes for little momentum in life. The commercial food we are feeding' is the disease we are treating---so treat on and on, curing one disease after another, again and again." William Pollak D.V.M.

Sample Recipes of Home Made Rawfood Diet for Animals 
Your dog’s behavior, happiness, health, longevity and overall well-being are inextricably intertwined with what you feed him. Dogs, just like everyone else, have specific nutritional needs. And, not to complicate matters, the needs of individual dogs
 

I add Fulvic acids to Shasta's raw food diet. Fulvic neutralizes toxins and can eliminate food poisoning within minutes. When it encounters free radicals with unpaired positive or negative electrons, it supplies an equal and opposite charge to neutralize the free radical. fulvic acid acts as a refiner and transporter of organic materials and cell nutrients. According to A. Szalay, fulvic acid has the ability to dramatically detoxify herbicides, pesticides, and other poisonsthat it interacts with – this includes many radioactive elements. This detoxification process may extend to animals and humans. Shirley

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Animals are not the only creatures on earth who can benefit from raw foods Learn about the Incredible healing power of raw foods for humans (Including personal accounts of cancer cures) Most human illnesses and diseases are due to a deficiency of vital nutrients. When you supply your body with the proper nutrients, in a form that your body can use, it knows how to repair itself!" The American Living Foods Institute  more

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SICK OF DRUGGING YOUR PET? There is a better way to bring your pet to health and keep it healthy.

Natural Herbal Remedies for Dogs and Cats (and other animals too) 

For years dog health supplies have included toxic materials to artificially maintain dog health as a temporary measure. The time has come to change to a more natural approach toward animal health. Natural remedies have been shown to achieve more immediate, more complete and longer lasting health, vitality, quality and longevity of animal lives. Learn about herbal remedies and other safe alternatives to drugs, chemo, radiation and surgery 

Michael Dym, VMD - "Over the past 40 years and 17 generations of dogs and, cats we are seeing tremendous increases in chronic ill health in our pets that was rare back in the early 1960's. Most of these illnesses revolve around breakdown in our pets' immune systems, and include chronic skin/ear allergies, digestive upset, thyroid/adrenal/pancreatic disorders, seizures, gum/ teeth problems, degenerative arthritis, kidney/liver failure, and cancer across all ages and breeds. We are also seeing a record number of behavioral and emotional disorders including alarming and unexplained fears/aggression., as well as difficulty focusing/training and paying attention. The analogy of these compared with escalating immune/behavioral diseases in children is quite disturbing. The two biggest factors in our pets' population health decline over these generations has been the severe overuse of multiple vaccines and nutrient poor and toxin filled commercial pet foods. We have also failed to address the underlying cause of disease by only sup pressing symptoms with antibiotics, cortisone and related drugs, so the disease progresses and goes deeper. Homeopathy offers a viable alternative in truly curing pets and making their bodies healthier." 

Will Falconer, DVM - "Most of the chronic diseases we commonly see in animals (and humans) have an immune basis, e.g. diabetes, allergies, asthma, thyroid disease, inflammatory bowel diseases, repeated ear infections, cancer, etc. While they can be cured through the careful use of homeopathy, the road to cure can be a long one -- often years if the animal has had years of disease. Transfer factors can significantly shorten the course, by giving a much needed balancing effect to the immune system. If the immune system is overactive as in allergies, ear infections, asthma, diabetes, or hypothyroidism, Transfer Factor can balance this overactivity so the system is not attacking its own organs, overreacting to things that shouldn’t be perceived as a threat. If, conversely, the immune system is under-active as in mange, parasites, viral infections, or cancer, Transfer Factor Plus can clearly stimulate it to better meet the challenges it needs to be alert to."  Prevaccination Protection  Dr. Falconer D.V.M. explains how to protect your animal from vaccines damage

Sam Jones, DVM - "Two cats, both about 8 years old, had severe diabetes. It was impossible to get the insulin requirements adjusted. They had lost weight to a point that they were skin and bones. Both cats had no quality of life left. After one week of being on transfer factors; we were able to get their insulin requirements adjusted. It is now 6 months and they have regained their weight and have a great quality of life and health."

Just like humans, domesticated animals like dogs and cats are affected by the health hazards of modern living. Pollution, poor nutrition, stress and unhealthy lifestyles can lead to a variety of illnesses and conditions that are very similar to those experienced by humans. These days, emotional and psychological problems like depression, anxiety, ADHD and behavioral problems are just as prevalent in pets as they are in their owners. Similarly, physical ailments such as diabetes, arthritis, chronic fatigue, digestive disorders, cystitis, kidney and liver disease, skin disorders, obesity, thyroid dysfunction and other problems are becoming more and more common in domesticated animals. Many, if not most of these conditions can be prevented by helping your pets to live a healthier lifestyle. For pets already suffering from existing conditions, a combination of lifestyle changes and natural medicine can work wonders! 

Dr. John Hanover, DVM  - "Young puppies and kittens with respiratory infections are given Shipibo Treasure Tea which they will lap up even when they will not drink water. I frequently recommend Amazon Herbs for my patients, especially geriatric animals and our Search and Rescue dogs.”   more...

Dr. Jerry Tennant, M.D. says that marine phytoplankton contains almost everything one needs to sustain life and to restore health by providing the raw materials to make new cells that function normally. Learn how phytoplankton saved a dog's Life 

CHLORINATED and FLUORIDATED WATER.... A BIG NO-NO !!!  There is a perception among many people that bottled water is somehow more healthy or pure than water from their tap. This is simply an illusion of marketing. A four-year study by the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC), released in 1999, found that one-fifth of the sampled bottled waters contained known neurotoxins and carcinogens such as styrene, toluene and xylene. Another NRDC study found that, out of 103 brands of bottled water, one-third contained traces of arsenic and E. coli. This means that out of a sample of 1,000 bottles sold in the U.S., at least 300 would have some level of chemical contamination. It is well known that the average city water today contains over 500 chemicals that do not belong in it. Part of this is due to the fact that most delivery systems in the U.S. include cement, asbestos pipes, cast iron, PVC (porous to certain solvents, herbicides and pesticides) and that lead, cadmium and other toxic metals leach out of valves and couplings of pipes between a water treatment plant and a faucet in the home. Why Purified and Distilled Bottled Water are Bad For You and Your Animals

Safe, toxin-free, Ionized, Energized, Drinking Water helps to naturally flush toxins and acidic waste from the body and is a powerful antioxidant. Ionized Water makes more oxygen available to our cells than distilled, reverse osmosis, filtered only, bottled or tap water and is the best possible drinking water. "Disease and early death is more likely to be seen with the long term drinking of purified water. Avoid it except in special circumstances." Zoltan P. Rona M.D

Complementary and Alternative Therapies in Veterinary Medicine

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Antibiotics and Suppressive Therapies 

Although the suppressive therapies are hard on the body, they do not compare with he rampant idiocy of using antibiotics for viral infections. Thankfully some measure of sanity appears to be returning to the medical profession. More and more doctors are avoiding prescribing antibiotics for colds and flus. Several critical observations must be made here. 

First, antibiotics are totally ineffective against viruses. The excuse most often heard for prescribing antibiotics in a viral illness is to prophylactically protect the body against a secondary bacterial infection. This is an idea proven to be false decades ago. In the United States, of the 5 most common antibiotics prescribed, three are broad spectrum. That's a problem! 

Second, the basis of antibiotics is mold. Through millions of years of evolution, bacteria and mold have coexisted in nature - in the soil, plants and animals. When one of them developed an evolutionary edge over the other and began to shift the balance in favor of itself, the other must have rapidly learned to defend itself against this new attack. If this were not true, we would only have either bacteria or molds but not both. By using mold, we thought we could slay one step ahead of bacteria in the evolutionary scale because we're so smart. Well, the yolk is on us, the bacteria are winning, and at a record pace. So in our attempt to wipe out bacteria, we forced them into a revolutionary evolutionary change and we damaged our immunity so badly that we become easy prey for viruses. Additional side effects of antibiotics are immune suppression and the increased susceptibility to parasites.

The long term effects of the breakdown of the immune system can be seen in increased infections, auto-immune disorders and tumor formation. The body's last ditch effort to compensate for the loss of internal defenses is to hyper activate the depressed immune function. What it may do is over stimulate the immune function, sacrificing the "self" - "not self" regulatory mechanisms. The defenses then perceive its own organs and systems as "not self" and begin to mount defenses against them. This starts the precipitous march toward auto immune disorders such as SLE, MS, RA, and possibly CFS.  ---  Why elimination of the symptom is NOT the same as elimination of the disease

Frustrated with the Failures of Conventional Veterinary Medicine: "After 10 years of traditional veterinary practice I became tired of having no treatment for chronic disease, incurable conditions, and a plethora of allergic maladies which seem to plague all veterinary practices. I was frustrated with giving animals cortisone because I had no other solutions, or using antibiotics for infections which I knew were of viral origin." Dr Charles E Loops DVM

• Why Destroy the Pets/Animals Immune System with Cortisone shots when a six dollar bottle of Herbal Licorice root or Yucca Extract does the job well - balances the adrenal safely! 
• Why use Toxic Antibiotics that may cause yeast infections or may not work at all when Herbal Echinacea, Golden Seal, Eyebright, can be used instead and very effective? 
• Homeopathy for Animals: Why use barbiturates for pain relief Why let an Animal Suffer? A growing number of veterinarians are turning to homeopathic veterinary medicine  as a safe and effective alternative to conventional veterinary practice. 
• Could your pet be suffering from adverse reaction to certain medications? To environmental factors and toxic chemicals? To flea and shampoo products?: With today's increasingly toxic environment, our pets are coming down with serious and  inexplicable health problems. Find out about the side effects of antibiotic, steroids, and flea/shampoo products. 
• Managing flea bites, allergies and hotspots: the natural, drugless approach
• Preventing and Healing Animal Cancer: the holistic approach Enter

if you'd like to copy, print or send to a friend a summary of the information about holistic animal health click here

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Holistic veterinary: testimonials of amazing cures
Read other people's testimonials of amazing animal health improvements and cures of cancer and other chronic disease with natural, alternative health care and optimum nutrition. This is a collection of emails I received over the years and for which I received the permission to publish on my site. With each testimonial you will find an email address to facilitate correspondance, feedback and support.

Alternative Therapy for Our Animals
Read about FDA's alledged abuse of power toward pet store owner who supplied litterature claiming that vitamins would keep pets healthy. The article, written by James DeMeo, Ph.D. can be found at The FDA - Who Do They Really Protect? Anti-Constitutional Activities and Abuse of Police Power by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and other Federal Agencies.

Improving Your Animal's Immune System and Overall Health with Nutritional Support
A groundswell of nutrition conscious veterinarians are beginning to recommend to their clients that they supplement their animals diet with a daily dose of flaxseed oil and other important nutrients.When the diets of animals were fortified with flax, within three weeks their coats developed a beautiful sheen, and dandruff was greatly diminished. There are amazing testimonials about animals recovering from cancer, diabetes and other severe degenerative illnesses with a nutritional product called Transfer Factor.

Dr. Charles W. Brown, DVM - "My colleagues and I have found this product (transfer factor) to be very effective in modulating the immune system. Transfer factor is a "soup" of immune-modulating factors, which contains a leukocyte-type molecule that can passively transfer immunity from one mammal to another by stimulating cell-mediated immunity and is antigen specific.  Richard Bennett, Ph.D., an Infectious Disease Microbiologist and Immunologist from the University of California, Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, believes this could be the most significant development in animal health care in decades. We have a great number of veterinarians and clients who are experiencing very positive results in a broad area of disorders, including periodontal. "   more

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Holistic Animal Health and Optimum Pet Nutrition - an overview

A growing number of veterinarians state that processed pet food is the main cause of illness and premature death in the modern dog and cat. In December 1995, the British Journal of Small Animal Practice published a paper contending that processed pet food supresses the immune system and leads to liver, kidney, heart and other diseases. Dr. Kollath, of the Karolinska Hospital in Stockholm, headed a study done on animals. When young animals were fed cooked and processed foods they initially appeared to be healthy. However, as the animals reached adulthood, they began to age more quickly than normal and also developed chronic degenerative disease symptoms. A control group of animals raised on raw foods aged less quickly and were free of degenerative disease. For a return to health, pets require a diet which strengthens the immune system and most closely resembles that which they would get in the wild. It's really easy to do. Click here to learn

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Site map

Home: ShirleysWellnessCafe.com (aka: MyWellnessHouse.com) is a free educational site site dedicated to help promote holistic health for you, your family, and your animals. 
 
 
 
 
 

Natural Animal Health  Overview of Natural,  Holistic Veterinary Medicine
 
 
 
 
 

  Deadly, Contagious Dog Flu Virus - Dr. Cynda Crawford, an immunologist at the University of Florida's College of Veterinary Medicine who is studying the virus, said that it spread most easily where dogs were housed together but that it could also be passed on the street, in dog runs or even by a human transferring it from one dog to another. Kennel workers have carried the virus home with them. Read what Dr. Falconer D.V.M.  recommends to protect your pet  from the  Canine Flu disease
 
 
 
 
 

Do you have a question about holistic animal health or need assistance?          or call 206-984-3009 or 323-389-0560 
 
 

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Veterinary Secrets Revealed!

E-book
Veterinary Secrets Revealed is the bible for solving your pet health problems with natural, at home remedies. Dr. Jones shows you more ways to treat your pet at home than I knew existed.

"These are all practical remedies that really work. No pet owner should be without this e-book." Dr. Jeff Serfas, Forestburg Animal Hospital

Natural Methods For Equine Health  Horses, just like any other animal benefit from natural veterinary care and prevention.
 

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Hilarious 30 seconds videos. They will make your day! 
Dog protecting his bone
Dog being massaged by cat
Cat will not share meal with dog
Great Escapes - dogs are so smart! 
Dog born with no front legs walks like a human...you have to see it to believe it!
 
 
 

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forNatural Immune Booster
Steven Slagle, DVM - "Transfer factors have turned out to be the most effective and versatile products I have ever used in my 32-year veterinary practice. A cat with leukemia, an oral tumor, and posterior paralysis due to a spinal tumor, was very ill and emaciated. One month after enhanced transfer factors (1 cap daily), there was some regression of the oral tumor, restored appetite with some weight gain, and increased sociability. Five months later, she continues to improve, regaining normal weight, 80% regression of her oral tumor, and regaining use of hind legs and tail."  more

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Dogs love Dr. Miller's Holy Tea too!
Dogs enjoy drinking Dr. Miller's Holy Tea because it helps improve their digestion, thus eliminate bad breath and body odors. The tea also helps flush toxins and assists in cleansing waste and compacted fecal matter from the colon. learn more.
 

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Gallery of Factory Farming Photos and Videos Witness first-hand what farm animals endure. (scroll down that page to view ALL videos)

Please sign the petition to help Enact the Protected Animal Law 
 

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More at Shirley's Wellness Cafe:

Holistic Animal Health and Optimum Pet Nutrition
Natural Health for Children
Natural Health for Women
Natural Health for Men
Steroids' Side Effects - Anti-Inflammatory Diet and Natural Remedies 
The acid-alkaline balance's impact on health
Eyesight Conditions - Natural Solutions
Arthritis Conditions - Natural Treatment
Diabetes Alternative Medicine 
Health Issues: Consumer Alert!
Alternative Cancer Therapies
Antibiotic Resistance and Side Effects
Natural Herbal antibiotics
The New Healing Science of Glyconutrients 
What is Homeopathy?
Urine therapy: medically proven natural cure
Toxic Environment - Toxic Cosmetics
Detoxification for Optimum Health: Chemicals and toxins are the primary cause of disease and obesity 
Tonic Herbs for Longevity, Rejuvenation, Immunity
Raw Food and Juice Therapy
Therapeutic Fasting
Healing with Herbs and Other Natural Remedies
Water: the great healer
Clay Therapy - Our Earth, Our Cure
Bee Pollen: healing from the hives
Magnesium Medical Miracles
Marine plants to enhance health
Profound Life-Giving Properties of Marine Phytoplankton 
Guide to natural treatments for Fibromyalgia
Immune system: the body's defense department
Sunlight to restore health
Cayenne Pepper: the great healer
Wheatgrass juice: nectar of health and rejuvenation
Healing Earth: Fulvic Acid and Shilajit
Stem Cell Physiology -  Supporting Bone Marrow Adult Stem Cell Release Naturally
A healing crisis: what is it?
Transfer Factor for people and animals
Emotional Freedom: overcoming stress naturally
Overcoming The Sugar Blues and Getting Off Prozac
Healing shingles/herpes zoster naturally and rapidly
Flaxseed Oil The Wonder Healer
Cholesterol Myth - Fats that Heal, Fats that Kill!
Salt Deficiency: the cause of many serious disease
Radiant, healthy skin: the natural way
Words Of Wisdom Follow Your Dreams!
Dangers of Modern Medicine: Iatrogenic Diseases 
Healing asthma: a drugless approach
Alzheimer's Disease: There is Hope! 
Healing eczema: a drugless approach
Healing psoriasis: a drugless approach
Parasites Infections: Symptoms and Natural Treatment (humans and  pets)
Basic Healing Principles
AIDS/HIV/AZT: truth behind the propaganda
The bitter truth about nutrasweet
Canola oil: how toxic is it?
Bovine Growth Hormones in your milk
Beware of Genetically Engeneered Foods
Radiation Emergencies: Protecting The Thyroid Gland
Weight Loss: natural and healthy solutions 
West Nile Virus - what the media won't tell you
Most Popular Natural Health Products Safe and Effective Remedies  for People and Pets
About the author of this website

Vaccines:
Free Google Videos. Doctors and parents expose how vaccines are crippling our children.
Dr. David Ayoub, M.D. lectures on Vaccines, Mercury, Autism and other disease

Vaccines: deception and tragedy
Vaccines and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)
Shaken Baby Syndrome or Vaccine-Induced Encephalitis?
Misdiagnosed Shaken Baby Syndrome: A Criminal Consequence of Vaccine Injury
AUTISM: is there a vaccine connection?
Criminal Consequence of Vaccine Injury
Anthrax Vaccine Facts and Gulf War Syndrome
Government Enforced Vaccinations: Vaccination Tracking Registry
How To Legally Avoid Unwanted Immunizations Of All Kinds
Vaccine Support Groups and Organizations
Animals: chronic dis-ease caused by vaccines
Nosodes: alternative to conventional vaccines
Library: Vaccine Controversy books

Holistic Children's Health :
Holistic Pediatrics (general)
Nutrition for Babies and Children
Attachment Parenting
Ear infections: alternative to tubes and antibiotics
Pshychiatry - betraying and drugging children for profit
Childhood vaccinations: are they really safe and effective?
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome: astonishing facts
Autism: is there a vaccine connection?
The Circumcision Decision: what I wish I had known...
Understanding your baby's needs
Natural Birth and Home Birth
Ritalin Free Kids: Helping Children, Not Drugging Them
Homeopathy for Children and Infants
Forced Drugging of Children Parents  facing jail over compulsory drug orders.
No longer blind: the story of Shirley's baby born blind and brain-injured

Holistic Animal health :
Do You Really Know What's In Your Pet's Food? by Dr. Jane Bicks DVM
Why RAW food?
Food Unfit For Pets
All Natural Healthy Pet Food 
Animal Nutritional Therapy
Natural Animal  Health
Homeopathy for animals
Pet Allergies: non toxic natural solutions
Rearing healthy pups and kittens
Saving Shasta's life: a holistic approach
Sample RAW pet food recipes
Toxic environment and your pet's illness
Alternative to antibiotics
Testimonials of amazing animal healing.
Preventing and Healing Animal Cancer without drugs or surgery
Holistic Health for Horses
Feline Holistic Health
Natural diet for pet birds
Ferret Natural Health Care and Optimum Diet
Vaccinosis: chronic dis-ease caused by vaccines
Nosodes: alternative to conventional vaccines
List of holisitic veterinarians
Managing flea bites and hotspots naturally
Improving your animal's health with kelp
Library: holistic animal health
Animal training and behavior library
Training Shasta for personal protection

Shop for all natural, non-toxic, safe products for your pet's health and well being.
 
 

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Dr. John Hanover, DVM - "Young puppies and kittens with respiratory infections are given Shipibo Treasure Tea which they will lap up even when they will not drink water. I frequently recommend Amazon Herbs for my patients, especially geriatric animals and our Search and Rescue dogs.” More...
 
 

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Watch these Free Videos: 

‘We Become Silent" A must see documentary about the threat to medical freedom of choice. The Last Days of Health Freedom' details the ongoing attempts by multinational pharmaceutical interests and giant food companies  to limit the public’s access to herbs, vitamins and other therapies. 
Prescription for Disaster  in-depth investigation into the relationships between the pharmaceutical industry, the FDA, lobbyists, lawmakers, medical schools, and researchers, and the impact this has on consumers and their health care.
Video library   (whistleblower doctors)
 

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Dr. Jerry Tennant, M.D. says that marine phytoplankton contains almost everything one needs to sustain life and to restore health by providing the raw materials to make new cells that function normally. Learn how phytoplankton saved a dog's Life 
 
 
 

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Possible Causes of Mysterious, Massive Death of Bees

Albert Einstein said:  "If the bee disappeared off the surface of the globe, then man would only have four years left to live."
 

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Ayurvedic Remedy for Dogs
Natural herbal supplement geared towards optimizing your dog's overall health, appearance, and longevity.
 
 
 
 
 
 

Natural Animal Health category