Health Tips

Pet Trend: Holistic Health Modalities for Animals

Sounds Familiar!  Nice to know that we are starting to be recognized in the press - even if we haven't made it to the New York Times or Newsweek.

Pet Trend: Holistic Health Modalities for Animals - Well Beings.

(PRLEAP.COM) (East Hampton, CT) Roll over Rover—for your massage.

As alternative and holistic health treatments become
more mainstream, veterinarians who specialize in acupuncture and chiropractic, along with specialized practitioners of massage and energy medicine, are reaching out to an unlikely group of patients—family pets.

Like humans, dogs, horses and cats can develop soft tissue injuries and imbalances, contract arthritis or experience physically adverse reactions to stress. These conditions can lead to painful structural and internal adaptations that limit the ability to lead a normal, active life.

That’s where a new breed of animal “therapists” steps in—helping to reduce nervousness and stress, poor circulation, muscle pain and inflammation, and improve range of motion

THE DARK SIDE OF RECYCLING

More about the horrors of what goes into commercial pet foods.

[Author's name withheld by request] In February 1990, the San Francisco Chronicle carried a macabre two-part story detailing how stray dogs, cats and pound animals are routinely rounded up by meat renderers and ground up into - of all things - pet food. According to the researcher who brought the information to the Chronicle, the paper buried the story and deleted many of the charges he had documented. A report he worked on for ABC television's 20-20 was similarly watered down. In exasperation, he sent the story to Earth Island Journal.

The rendering plant floor is piled high with "raw product": thousands of dead dogs and cats; heads and hooves from cattle, sheep, pigs and horses; whole skunks; rats and raccoons - all waiting to be processed. In the 90-degree heat, the piles of dead animals seem to have a life of their own as millions of maggots swarm over the carcasses.

A LOOK INSIDE A RENDERING PLANT

This article by Gar Smith

is quite an eye opener when we look at the billions spent on feeding our pets.

Rendering has been called "the silent industry". Each year in the US, 286 rendering plants quietly dispose of more than 12.5 million tons of dead animals, fat and meat wastes. As the public relations watchdog newsletter PR Watch observes, renderers "are thankful that most people remain blissfully unaware of their existence"

The Great Canola Con

Think Canola Oil is healthy?  Think again.  Canola oil is genetically modified rapeseed oil - and we've been conned.  Here is an excerpt of another amazing research article by Sally Fallon and Mary Inig, Phd.

Canola oil is definitely not healthy for the cardiovascular system. Like rapeseed oil, its predecessor, canola oil is associated with fibrotic lesions of the heart. It also causes vitamin E deficiency, undesirable changes in the blood platelets, and shortened life-span in stroke-prone rats when it was the only oil in the animals' diet. Furthermore, it seems to retard growth, which is why the FDA does not allow the use of canola oil in infant formula.

When saturated fats are added to the diet, the undesirable effects of canola oil are mitigated. Most interesting of all is the fact that many studies show that the problems with canola oil are not related to the content of erucic acid, but more with the high levels of omega-3 fatty acids and low levels of saturated fats.

Read the entire article at: www.westonaprice.org/knowyourfats/conola.html

Facts about Fats

This is an excerpt from a facinating article called "The Oiling of America" by Sally Fallon and Mary Inig, Phd.  I met Ms. Fallon six years ago and have heard her speak on diet and nutrition many times.  I highly recommend their wonderful cookbook - "Nourishing Traditions" and that you take the time to read all four parts of this article.  Your heart will thank you!

Facts about Fats— The Oiling of America, Part 4.

Benefits of animal fats

Foods containing trans fat sell because the American public is afraid of the alternative—saturated fats found in tallow, lard, butter, palm and coconut oil, fats traditionally used for frying and baking. Yet the scientific literature delineates a number of vital roles for dietary saturated fats—they enhance the immune system,54 are necessary for healthy bones,55 provide energy and structural integrity to the cells,56 protect the liver57 and enhance the body's use of essential fatty acids.58

Stevia - A safe and calorie-free Sweetener

Looking for a way to lower calories - without the risks of Aspartame and other artificial sweeteners?  If you haven't already - try Stevia.  This South American plant has been used internationally for centuries to sweeten foods, fight bacterial infections and balance blood sugar.   Depending upon how it is processed, Stevia can be 100 - 300 times sweeter than refined white sugar - and has ZERO CALORIES!

Feeding Pets to Pets

Would you knowingly feed your dog or cat pet food containing other dogs and cats?  Doesn't sound very appetizing does it?  Unfortunately, in many U.S. states it is completely legal - and common practice - to add euthanized pets from animal control and veterinarians to the rendered meats pot.  Which is where the "meat" that is used in most commerical pet foods comes from.

A Fable for Our Time!

This wonderful fable comes to us from Mike Adams - publisher of www.NewsTarget.com - a great resource for those looking for a different vision of health and medicine.

Welcome to the town of Allopath There once was a town called Allopath. It had many people, streets and cars, but due to budget limitations, there were no stop signs or traffic lights anywhere in Allopath. Not surprisingly, traffic accidents were common. Cars would crash into each other at nearly every intersection. But business was booming for the auto repair shops and local hospitals, which dominated the economy of Allopath. As the population of Allopath grew, traffic accidents increased to an alarming level. Out of desperation, the city council hired Doctor West, a doctor of the Motor Division (M.D.) to find a solution. Dr. West spent days examining traffic accidents. He carried an assortment of technical gear -- microscopes, chemical analysis equipment, lab gear -- and put them all to work as part of his investigation. The townspeople of Allopath watched on with great curiosity while Dr. West went about his work, meticulously documenting and analyzing each traffic accident, and they awaited his final report with great interest. After weeks of investigation, Dr. West called the people of Allopath to a town meeting for the release of his report. There, in front of the city council and most of the residents of Allopath, he announced his findings: "Traffic accidents are caused by skid marks." As Dr. West explained, he found and documented a near-100% correlation between traffic accidents and skid marks. "Wherever we find these cars colliding," he explained, "we also find these skid marks." The town had "Skid Marks Disease," the doctor explained, and the answer to the town's epidemic of traffic accidents would, "...require nothing more than treating Skid Marks Disease by making the streets skid-proof," Dr. West exclaimed, to great applause from the townspeople.

Another skeptics journey toward alternatives in healing

This story reflects the attitudes of a number of my clients the first time they come to my office.   I like the idea of the carpeted platform - maybe we can set one up at the new ranch!

Acupuncture for My Border Collie - Does "holistic" veterinary care really work? By Jon Katz.

I have a troubled dog. Orson, my border collie, came to me when he was 2. He had issues. So, we've been to trainers and behavioralists and tried any number of different training methods. We've herded sheep. Chased geese. Practiced positive reinforcement. I've used hand signals and whistles, a special voice, enticing food. I even changed his name because it carried so many unpleasant associations.

Along the way, he and I have grown as close as members of different species can be. No human has ever had a more vigilant and attentive companion, and I'd do anything for him (within reason).

Yet Orson still has serious problems. He limps, tenses, cringes, nips. When aroused, which is often, he can be aggressive around other animals and unpredictable around children. Orson defends gates and doors with almost frightening fury and determination and has crashed right through windows several times. He has also tried to herd school buses, lawn mowers, skateboarders.

Vaccinations - Necessary or Not?

More on the over-vaccination debate:

Concord Monitor Online.

Necessary or not? Some veterinarians and pet owners are questioning vaccinations By REBECCA T. DICKSON Monitor staff June 12. 2005 8:00AM A Labrador retriever in Maine developed a cancerous tumor. In South Carolina, a Basenji broke out in sores and nearly died. And a Los Angeles couple spent $6,000 on veterinary bills after their dog, Nikki, became violently ill. A growing group of pet owners and veterinarians say illnesses like these seem to spring up after vaccinations meant to keep their pets healthy. While most animals don't suffer any ill effects from the preventive shots, and millions have been saved because of them, some people wonder whether the frequency of vaccinations is more a tradition than a necessity.