Energy Medicine
With the higher frequency of side effects from many conventional medicines, alternative remedies are continuing to gain popularity, being more widely incorporated into holistic vets’ medicine bags.
Homeopathy
Homeopathy is a form of “energy medicine,” which uses remedies made from highly diluted natural compounds that undergo a series of dilutions in water, alternated with a process called succussion (vigorous shaking). Homeopathic remedies may be derived from animal, plant or mineral forms and range in type from snake venom to poison ivy to oyster shells.
Homeopathic medicine was developed by Samuel Hahnemann in the late 1700s. He discovered after many years of work that the more “potentized” (dilute) a remedy was, the more powerful its healing properties actually became. Homeopathy works on the principle of “like cures like,” meaning that the diluted, homeopathic form of a compound can be helpful in alleviating the symptoms that that compound would actually cause in its non-diluted form. For example, the homeopathic remedy Apis Mellifica is made from honeybee venom. In its crude form, bee venom can cause itching, burning and stinging pain. In its homeopathic form, Apis can help to alleviate the burning and stinging pain of hotspots, cystitis, conjunctivitis and insect bites.
Skeptics of homeopathy claim that it cannot possibly work because the remedies are so highly diluted that none of the original compound remains. However, a growing number of clinical trials have demonstrated both the safety and efficacy of homeopathic medicine, and many of these trials were conducted in Europe where homeopathy is more widely prescribed even by conventional and
“mainstream” doctors.
Homeopathic remedies usually come in quick-dissolving pellets, which can be placed directly on Fido’s tongue. Here are five homeopathic remedies that can be kept on hand for Fido’s basic needs.
As always, it’s recommended that dog guardians consult with a veterinarian who is familiar with the use of homeopathy when using this modality.
Arnica montana is one of the best-known homeopathic remedies. It is commonly used in humans, in both topical creams and oral pellets. Arnica is excellent for bruising, muscle aches, sprains and general injuries, especially where the animal is shocked. Animals who benefit from Arnica may be fearful of touch and restless, constantly moving from one spot to another because of their discomfort.
Apis mellifica, made from the honeybee, is used for insect bites and stings that produce sensitive swellings. Animals who can benefit from Apis are those who may be very hot but not thirsty as their pain is often alleviated by cold.
Arsenicum album is a great remedy for diarrhea, especially digestive upset caused by food poisoning, consumption of garbage, etc. The arsenicum patient often feels chilly, and their symptoms are alleviated by warmth. It’s especially useful in younger animals and for those who are anxious, restless and thirsty.
Carbo vegetabilis is made from charcoal and is used for the alleviation of gas. It is a great remedy to keep on hand for dogs who are prone to bloat. Weakness, shock and general exhaustion indicate the need for carbo veg.
Thuja occidentalis is indicated for the treatment of warts and skin complaints. It is also used to help with adverse vaccine reactions, especially those reactions that cause skin problems.
The Flower Essences
Flower essences are one of the most popular natural remedies. Like homeopathics, they’re widely available in health food stores. While
homeopathic remedies are most used for physical conditions (but may also be selected for emotional factors), the forte of the flower essences is in balancing emotional health. Flower essences are liquid extracts made from a variety of individual flowers, plants and trees.
The flower essence system was created by Dr. Edward Bach in the 1930s. The remedies are usually diluted and given orally or in drinking water, or applied to acupressure points.
Glass droppers should not be used to administer these remedies directly into Fido’s mouth. If needed, a remedy can instead be dropped onto the finger and rubbed onto the gums, ears or head.Animals often exhibit behavioral changes in response to underlying
emotional issues, stress, jealousy, aggression and worry. Flower essences can help Fido to feel calm and focused by enhancing and supporting emotional well-being.
The best known flower essence product is Dr Bach’s Rescue® Remedy, a combination of five flower essences. Rescue® Remedy is a
great choice to have on hand for both general and emergency use. Many people have used it successfully as a complement to conventional veterinary care, such as in emergency situations like heat stroke. A few popular individual flower essences that work really well for pets are as follows:
Jealousy: Holly, which is also suitable for those who show aggressiveness relating to past abuse.
Grief and Homesickness : Honeysuckle, for feelings of abandonment when left alone or at a kennel, and in combination with Star of Bethlehem for mourning an owner who has passed away.
Exhaustion and Trauma: Olive and Star of Bethlehem as well as Rescue® Remedy.
Fear: Aspen is especially great for very submissive pets who show nervousness in new situations; Mimulus for fear of known things such as thunder or vet visits; Rock Rose for terror and Red Chestnut for worry that something bad is going to happen.
Neediness : Chicory works especially for those who demand attention, easily feel jealousy and when being left alone causes excessive upset.
Both homeopathy and flower essences have an extremely high safety record, and few if any side-effects, even when used in conjunction with conventional medicine. For those who are open to the possibilities of healing that can take place with these complementary therapies, they are certainly worth a try.
Fido Friendly: Varietal Feeding
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Varietal or rotational feeding is gaining popularity among pet parents. Its roots lie firmly based in both common sense and respect for what’s biologically appropriate for Fido. Even though a human could survive on one brand of breakfast cereal every day for the long term, her state of health would likely be far inferior compared to a fellow human who consumed lots of different, fresh foods every week. Domestic mammals such as dogs and cats are no different in that regard.
Not only is varietal feeding important from the standpoint of preventing boredom, it also helps to ensure that Fido will receive a broader spectrum of nutrition, including enzymes, amino acids and antioxidants, compared with when he eats one single processed food every day.
Many pet food manufacturers caution pet owners not to add anything to their products, claiming that doing so will throw off the balance of nutrients. But a modern, domestic canine’s digestive system is not so primitive that it cannot handle a varied diet. As variety is introduced to the diet, so the body becomes more robust, and even more able to derive benefit from new, fresh ingredients.
A varied diet strengthens the system, which over time means Fido is able to enjoy more and more variety, just as a monotonous, non-varied diet weakens the system and can result in a dog who can’t enjoy different foods because his tummy gets upset. Start off very gradually and work up to a more varied diet over a period of weeks or months.
Of course, as with most things, common sense should prevail—heaping piles of ground beef on top of a high-protein kibble isn’t a wise choice, but a mix of different foods offered throughout the week supplies a plethora of valuable compounds not present in one kibble alone.
The Allergy Question
The long-term effects of feeding a highly processed, monotonous diet can lead to various health problems, and there is growing evidence that failing to vary what Fido eats can actually predispose him to the onset of food allergies. Eating nothing but lamb and rice for years on end is not only boring but increases the risk that he will start to become intolerant of lamb or rice or both. While some conventional vets actually recommend feeding only one type of food for years on end to help keep the options open when an allergy develops, this doesn’t conform to a holistic approach to health. Pets who enjoy variety are less likely to develop allergies anyway, because their systems are much stronger; and even if they do, there are so many good quality options available that there’s certainly something Fido can eat even if a food sensitivity does flare up later in life.
How Does Varietal Feeding Work? Feeding Fido a varied diet can be as involved and labor-intensive as completely preparing all food from scratch and making each meal a little different from the next to simply adding in some fresh and healthy, human-grade extras with his usual daily fare. Or, a varied diet can be as easy as following a schedule of rotation between different brands of commercial food.
If you take the home-prepared approach, it is important to ensure that you feed a wide enough selection of biologically appropriate foods to provide adequate levels of nutrition over a period of time, such as one week. It’s true that some individual meals will contain higher levels of nutrients than others, but this isn’t problematic if a common sense approach is followed and nutritional balance is accomplished during the course of a week. This requires a basic understanding of the nutritional makeup of various types of foods as well as an appreciation for how wild dogs and cats eat, including
consumption of different prey such as rabbits, mice and birds and foraging for seeds and berries according to what’s available.
Fresh and minimally processed foods contain colorful pigments, which indicate the presence of different nutrients. If you feed a commercial product as a base, you can still add in your own fresh foods to provide extra taste and nutrition as well as help prevent boredom. Try mixing in some of these ingredients along with your pet’s regular meals: ground or cubed meat (raw or cooked), raw (not cooked) meaty bones, plain yogurt, cottage cheese,
eggs, kefir, fruits, herbs and vegetables.
Dietary variety can also be accomplished by rotating between different brands or types of commercial food. Combining raw meats and kibble is not recommended because these foods digest at different rates and can increase the risk of food borne illness, but many pet owners will feed raw for one meal and kibble the next, or use a middle-ground type of food such as dehydrated or freeze-dried and mix it with canned, kibble or raw foods in rotation.
Each dog is a unique individual and may have specific taste preferences or food tolerances. Start introducing a varietal diet gradually to allow him time to adjust and pay attention to which types of foods he does best on. Over time, the benefits of a varied feeding protocol that consists of fresh and minimally processed whole foods will become evident through more robust health, energy levels and resistance to illness.
Snacks – How much is too much?
We all love to offer our animal companions treats and snacks, but how many we give and how often can have more than a little impact on both their behavior and total health.
As a general rule of thumb, it is best to limit “snacks” (free mini-meals) to once a day, if at all. A good time to snack would be right before bedtime after going potty, or as a peace offering and food-based distraction when you leave the house and Fido’s going to spend a little time alone.
Good examples of snacks include a couple of tablespoons of plain yogurt, a very small portion of his regular food or a juicy, meaty bone to gnaw on, which also cleans the teeth. Perfect departure-based snacks are something that will last longer and take Fido’s
mind off being left alone. Stuffing food into an interactive toy (such as those from Kong, or Planet Dog) can make it extra interesting.
Many commercial treats are loaded with sugar, chemical preservatives, colorings, by-products and allergy-causing grains like wheat, corn and soy. Aim to keep Fido trim by limiting treats, making him work for them and using healthy “people foods” or natural treats such as those below. Use raw baby carrots, diced up chicken or tiny pieces of cheese for training sessions in place of commercial treats—but remember to never treat Fido with grapes, raisins, candies or chocolate.
Top quality treats include those from Zukes (Mini Naturals are really tiny and ideal for training sessions). Or try making your own—Made out of Love (available from www.thehonestkitchen.com) is a cookbook with recipes for healthy brownies, training bites and other treats that are infused with a little personal love.
Homemade and other soft foods such as dehydrated mixes work really well for this and can be frozen to prolong the fun even more. For treats (cookies or other goodies fed in individual morsels), the best approach is the Nothing in Life is Free (NLF) rule. This means you do not just walk up and give a treat for doing nothing—unless of course you are working on behavior modification, and “doing nothing” is the behavior you are specifically looking for.
Request a behavior that Fido is required to perform in order to receive his treat or reward. It could be as simple as “sit” or a more complex sequence of tricks, and the reward can be adjusted to suit the level of difficulty.
Using the NLF program helps to reinforce your position as the leader of the pack and is an excellent way to practice certain behaviors
Lucy Postins is a monthly columnist in Fido Friendly Magazine.
Toxic Foods; Some people-foods can cause extreme health problems if consumed by pets.
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While most “people-foods” can be fed to Fido without any adverse consequences, some should never be fed to dogs because they pose a serious potential health risk. Here are five poisonous people-foods, and some warning signs that they may have been ingested by your dog.
Grapes & Raisins
The consumption of large amounts of grapes or raisins can potentially cause fatal kidney failure if untreated. However, some dogs seem to be more susceptible to adverse reaction and toxicity than others. Raisins are more risky than grapes because they are concentrated. An occasional grape or raisin isn’t usually problematic, but there have been reported cases of toxicity from consumption of only a handful of either one.
Signs of grape or raisin toxicity include vomiting or diarrhea (pieces of grape or raisin may be visible), shaking, abdominal pain, weakness and excessive thirst (but reduced urine output). If you suspect your dog has eaten either of these foods, veterinary care should be sought immediately.
Chocolate
Chocolate that is especially high in cocoa contains high levels of threobromine which can cause a severe reaction that worsens with the type of chocolate, the volume consumed and the smaller the dog. For example, it would take 20 ounces of milk chocolate to be fatal for a 20 pound Fido but only two ounces of dark chocolate.
Theobromine is like caffeine and affects the nervous, cardiovascular and peripheral nervous systems. It has a diuretic effect as well. Clinical signs of chocolate ingestion include extreme excitability and restlessness, increased heart rate and muscle tremors, gastro-intestinal upset including diarrhea and vomiting, and increased urination.
Macadamia Nuts
Ingestion of these can cause a toxic reaction called macadamia nut toxicosis. An unsteady gait, elevated temperature, depression, vomiting, muscle tremors and an increased heart rate are among the signs, and these usually subside within a couple of days but occasionally can result in severe shock, which may even be fatal. The problems are worse from consumption of chocolate covered macadamias.
Onion
The consumption of onions by Fido can lead to Heinz Body Anemia, in which damage to the red blood cells occurs, leading to their premature rupture. This is caused by a toxic substance called thiosulfate, contained in onions.
The initial signs of onion toxicosis actually appear a few days after onion consumption and include gastro-intestinal upset, diminished appetite and general weakness. As the condition advances, Fido may become breathless, as there are fewer oxygen-carrying cells in his system. Blood may also be seen in the urine.
All types of onion contain thiosulfate including raw and cooked, and those included in other foods like pizza, pasta sauce or Chinese meals. Fairly large quantities of onion have to be consumed in order for a problem to occur, although these large quantities can cause Heinz Body Anemia whether consumed in one meal (for example a bowl of chopped onion stolen from a counter-top) or in smaller quantities over a long period of time (such as frequent, repeated meals of “people-food” with onion in the recipe).
While garlic also contains the toxic ingredient thiosulfate, garlic is much less toxic and extremely large amounts would need to be eaten to cause illness.
Xylitol
Xylitol, a sugar substitute, is often found in chewing gum, candy, sugar-free pudding, jello, diabetic foods and toothpaste. It can be fatal to pets. Xylitol causes mass insulin release in dogs, leading to sudden hypoglycemia, a drop in blood sugar levels. Fido can show symptoms in as little as 20 minutes, or as late as 12 hours after the consumption of Xylitol.
Symptoms include ataxia (staggering gait), depression, lethargy, confusion, seizures and in some cases, death.
What to feed Fido when the cupboard is bare.
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It happens to the best of us; we mean to order dog food but the cupboard runs bare.
Once in a while, Fido must be fed 100 percent homemade (even if he doesn’t enjoy the delights of people food every day). How can you accomplish this with minimal upset?
Ideally, if you can match up one or two ingredients from Fido’s regular fare with some foods from your own kitchen, the risk of any gastro-intestinal disturbance will be minimal. For example, if your bag or box of dog food lists chicken, barley, carrots, potatoes and oats among the first few ingredients and you have some chicken breasts in the freezer along with some instant oatmeal with your breakfast cereals, those would be a great place to start.
If Fido isn’t accustomed to raw, this probably isn’t the best time to embark on a raw feeding protocol; lightly poach or bake the chicken and cook the oatmeal according to the package instructions. Don’t be tempted to feed any sort of cooked bones at all, ever. The introduction of raw bones (except for a recreational marrow-bone treat) should probably be saved for another day unless Fido is already used to these as part of his usual food routine.
Just as when we make a meal for ourselves, it’s important that an emergency preparation for Fido contain a well-balanced array of food types. Of course you can’t feed what you don’t have, but in an ideal world, a generous portion of meat along with some carbohydrates (whole rolled grains or even mashed white or sweet potatoes) can be accented by some fresh or frozen veggies such as chopped string beans or some steamed, sliced zucchini.
Fruit probably isn’t necessary, but a little unsweetened applesauce might make an already memorable homemade lunch for Fido into an even more memorable treat. If you’re short on meat, then some eggs or a little plain cottage cheese can be used to increase the protein content of your homemade meal.
If Fido is prone to GI upset at the slightest switch in food, there are some things you can add to the food to help reduce any adverse consequences. A tablespoon or two of plain, liveculture yogurt (depending on your dog’s size) will work wonders. The good bacteria in live yogurt help to replenish those that naturally occur in the GI tract, thus facilitating digestion and reducing the risk of diarrhea. If you have some digestive enzymes in powdered or capsule form, these would also be a great addition to an impromptu meal (and can also be fed any time you are changing foods or introducing new things). Failing that, a little unsweetened canned pumpkin can work wonders to settle the tummy and stave off a bout of diarrhea.
Keep in mind also that in a worst-case scenario, except where certain underlying medical conditions exist, the vast majority of dogs will be absolutely fine if they skip one meal provided they have access to plenty of fresh clean water. Many pet owners fast their raw-fed pets routinely by choice, and in the wild, it’s quite normal for dogs to go longer periods without food. When the other choice is a meal of BHT-laden hotdogs and buns, or a drive-thru hamburger, a fast might just be the lesser of two evils, where Fido is concerned.
