Raw Pet Digest October/November 2015

RAWPETDIGEST October/November 2015

IN THIS ISSUE: -Nat u r al p u p p y car e -Bo n es an d y o u r cat -Can i n e p an cr eat i t i s -Vacci n at i o n s -Th e n ew n o r m al (an d w h y i t i sn ' t ) -A n d m u ch m o r e!

Boomer. Photo credit: Shannon Bowling

Raw Pet Digest Editor-in-chief: Kristin Clark Technical editor: Dr. Jeannie (Jeannette) Thomason

To get an annual subscription (6 issues): -Using PayPal: send $15.00 USD to kristin@rawpetdigest.com -Using Square: go to mkt.com/ rawpetdigest -Email kristin@rawpetdigest.com for alternate forms of payment

All emails and letters become the property of Raw Pet Digest and may be reprinted in future issues.

Our mission at Raw Pet Digest is to share information that supports natural health with a broad audience to help improve the lives of our carnivore pets. We believe that only the body is capable of achieving and maintaining true health, but we also believe that there are many things that we can do to help support the body in its quest to maintain balance (health). Raw Pet Digest aims to help educate and inform you about those things so that you can help your pet live a long life and thrive naturally.

DISCLAIMER: All information contained in Raw Pet Digest is intended for educational purposes only. It is not provided in order to diagnose, prevent, or treat any disease, illness, or injured condition of the body or pets, and the author(s), publisher, and contributors accept no responsibility for such use. Anyone or their pets suffering from any disease, illness, or injury should consult with their physician or veterinarian. The statements herein have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Additionally, all views expressed herein by those being interviewed or featured are their own views and do not necessarily represent the views of Raw Pet Digest.

All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced in any form without the written consent of the author(s) and Editor-in-Chief. The articles herein are for educational purposes only. The decision to use, or not to use, any information is the sole responsibility of the reader.

Merlin, an American Pit Bull Terrier. Photo credit: Bre Altherr

FEATURESAND COLUMNS Letter from the Editor - 4 Feeding and Raising Puppies Naturally - 5 Those Amazing, Awesome Bones - 13 Sunshine and Supplements - 17 Plants and Carnivores - 23 Spotlight on Health: Carole Milligan - 25 Vaccinations and Your Pet - 28

Motley, Elle, Cleo, and Barkley. Photo credit: Kristin Clark

CranioSacral Therapy - 35 My Experiences with Parvo - 38 Canine Pancreatitis: Natural Support and Prevention - 44 The New Normal (and Why it Isn't) - 49 The Infinite Capacity of Our Hearts - 52

Kirin and Barkley on the couch. Photo credit: Peg Clark

Letter fromtheEditor Over the past few days, there has been a hint in the air that summer is coming to a close. The sun, which over the summer had been bright and intense even early in the morning, is starting to take just a bit longer to come up. The heat is loosening its grip, and there is a suggestion? a feeling, really? that the seasons are changing.

But it?s not just the seasons that are changing.

Other changes, some exciting, and some sad, have also been all around me. On the exciting side, we are planning to move. We are looking for a place with land, to launch a business that will help bring high-quality, affordable raw food to our carnivore pets in a new and convenient way. I can?t wait, because it will be another step in my journey to empower people to help their pets achieve and maintain health naturally.

But other changes have also come. Very dear friends of mine just lost their dog, Boomer, at the end of August. Boomer was one of the most loving and gentle dogs I have ever met, and his loss leaves a hole in my heart. He was getting up there in age, but he never failed to welcome me with a gentle wave of his tail and a big smile on his face.

My friend was with him when he passed away, brave and loving to the end. I will miss his sweet, smiling face, and I will miss all the times he laid there with us while we shot pool at their house.

He was truly one in a million, and I am so grateful that I had the chance to know him and call him my friend. Another friend of mine just lost her boxer, Socks, as well. Socks was an amazing dog, and, although she lived in Canada and I didn?t get to see her in person, stories about her and pictures of her always lightened my heart. She drew people together who otherwise would never have met, and inspired all of us every day to learn more about how to take care of our pets naturally.

Kristin with Cleo, Motley, Elle, and Barkley. Photo credit: Adam Gilbert

constant is change.? Some changes we embrace wholeheartedly, and some we resist, but no matter how we feel about them, change comes. That is nature?s way. We spend a lot of time every issue talking about natural feeding and health care for our beloved pets, but we also emphasize the importance of strength of body and spirit. Part of that strength is resilience to the changes that we experience in our lives. And so, I want to ask you to take some time, right now, to feel appreciation for where you are right now, and where you are headed.

Feel gratitude for the changes that your life has brought you, and the opportunities that those changes have given you. Hug your loved ones, human and animal, close. Take a moment to remember those that have passed or have moved away. And try, if you can, to feel joy at the gifts that they gave you while they were with you. And, with your heart as open as it can be, greet each new change as an opportunity to grow, and stretch, and learn, a little more. After all, it is the way of our world that we experience change, and through those experiences, we grow and learn. New doors open and new pathways emerge, and we get the chance to learn more about ourselves. In this way we become even better versions of ourselves, and ultimately we can better share our own unique gifts with the world. And that is, at its essence, what life is all about.

As I sit here writing this, thinking of the exciting and the challenging changes all around me, I am Enjoy the issue, reminded that life is all about change. Indeed, as Kristin the Greek philosopher Heraclitus said, ?The only

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FEEDINGANDRAISING PUPPIESNATURALLY

Meshach, a Great Dane. Photo credit: Kim Bloomer

Nutrition is the foundation of optimal health.

What we feed our puppies directly affects their health. Without proper nutrition, even the most genetically sound puppies will never reach their full potential, and they could also have health problems as a result. The importance of proper nutrition cannot be overstated. Without proper nutrition, all other efforts at achieving and maintaining good health can be only partially successful at best. Without proper nutrition, there is a much greater need for intervention simply to assist the body in dealing with things the immune system should be capable of dealing with on its own.

We have all been led to believe that somehow our puppies need to be fed special diets designed for their unique nutritional needs. Of course, these diets are formulated by humans for monetary gain. The pet food industry is a multi-billion dollar industry.

Since our domestic dogs are descendants of wolves, shouldn?t we be observing how and what wolves and other wild carnivores eat? Do their pups eat a special diet just because they are young?

What is a SARF diet?

The letters in the acronym SARF stand for species-appropriate raw food. Dogs as a species are carnivores. No matter what the pet food and

Cinder, an English Mastiff. Photo credit: Jennifer Lee

veterinary industry would have you believe, all you have to do is look at their anatomy and physiology to see evidence of this. Their teeth are designed to rip, shred, and tear, not chew. They lack the grinding molars necessary for grinding or chewing food.

Their saliva lacks the enzymes (such as the amylase found in omnivores and herbivores) necessary to begin the process of digestion. Instead, their saliva is basically comprised of enzymes that render most bacteria harmless; it has a mucousy texture that acts as a lubricant to ease the process of swallowing whole pieces of carcasses, which is important since dogs can only crush and flatten their food, not chew it. Dogs' jaws hinge open widely to allow them to gulp down large chunks of meat and bone. Their jaw is not hinged like an omnivore?s jaw, it only moves up and down (again, making it impossible to actually ?chew? or masticate food). Their stomachs are highly elastic and are designed to hold large quantities of meat, bone, organs, and even hide.

The gastric acidity (gastric pH) of a stomach of a dog eating a raw meat, bones, and organ diet has been tested and found to be very acidic, with a pH of 2 or lower. This highly acidic environment is designed to break down raw meat and raw bones into soft digestible material. The low pH is highly effective at killing bacteria, particularly potentially pathogenic bacteria like salmonella, clostridia, campylobacter, and E. coli.

NOTE: While I can find no studies to prove this, I want to mention here that if you are switching an adult dog that has been fed a highly processed diet all of its life to a species-appropriate diet, that it may be best to avoid feeding whole raw bone with the meat and organs initially. This is because the stomach is less acidic because of the long-term feeding of processed foods. If this is true, the dog fed processed pet food over a long term may not be able soften and break down raw bone material or be as capable of coping with bacteria. This can result in vomiting or diarrhea until the pH is raised to the natural level of 2. I always recommend a 12?24 hour fast before feeding a raw diet to an adult fed processed pet food, 6

and I also suggest that whole bone not be added for a couple of days, just in case. Puppies, however, can be switched easily with very few or no digestive upsets.

Dogs have a relatively short foregut and a short, smooth colon. This means food passes through the digestive tract quickly. Carbohydrates, vegetables, and plant matter, however, need time to sit and ferment. This means that animals designed to eat carbohydrates and plant matter have longer colons, larger and longer small intestines, and occasionally a caecum. Dogs have none of these, but have the shorter foregut and hindgut consistent with carnivorous animals.

Specific nutritional needs of growing puppies Wolves and even many naturally reared dogs wean their puppies from nursing by regurgitating their recently eaten meals to the puppies.

Eventually, the wolf pups share the leftovers from a kill and naturally reared pups eat from their mother?s meals, including more and more whole parts of the animal carcasses found in a SARF diet.

You don?t need to give your puppy special ingredients or more ?protein? or calcium then their parents. They require the same ratio of calcium to phosphorus as adult dogs. They do, however, require up to 10% of their body weight of raw meat, bones, and organs compared to adults, who only require 2.5?3% of their body weight. By the time puppies are eight weeks old, they should be getting whole animal parts through eating a prey model diet or a ?franken prey? diet. For instance, depending on the size and breed of the puppy, it might eat a whole chicken thigh or leg quarter (with bone and skin intact) with a little bit of liver and gizzard and heart. Feeding a SARF or prey model diet means including organs, bones, muscle meats, and glands when you can get them. Keep in mind that the organs and bone marrow are highly nutrient-dense. Liver has a vast range of important nutritional qualities. It has the most concentrated source of vitamin A, as well as vitamins D, E, and K in substantial quantities. Liver

is an excellent source of the minerals zinc, manganese, selenium, and iron. It also contains all the B vitamins, particularly B1, B2, B3, B5, B12, biotin, and folacin, and it is also a good source of vitamin C. Liver provides a source of good quality protein and the essential fatty acids, both the omega-3 and omega-6 type. Kidneys supply good quality protein, essential fatty acids, and many vitamins, including all the fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K). Kidneys are a rich source of iron and all the B vitamins. They also have good levels of zinc.

The heart is actually considered a muscle meat, not an organ. It is an excellent source of protein, B vitamins, and iron. It contains some essential fatty acids and a small amount of vitamin A. The heart contains good levels of taurine, which is an important food? for the heart!

Raw green tripe has often been called "the finest of natural foods for our dogs". It should be unprocessed and unbleached (basically straight out of the animal). Tripe is the edible lining and accompanying content of a cow or other grass-eating animal's first or second division of the stomach. Paunch tripe comes from the large first stomach division, and honeycomb tripe comes from the second division. Both wild canids and domestic dogs alike benefit from eating tripe as it contains a very diverse profile of living nutrients, including digestive enzymes, omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, vitamin B, probiotics, and phytonutrients. Raw tripe is considered to be meat, but it has a very good calcium/ phosphorus ratio. It?s an essential part of my puppies? and adult dogs? diets. Tripe should be from grass-fed (not grain-fed) herbivore animals to get the maximum nutritional benefit.

Raw whole eggs with shells (a perfect ratio of phosphorous to calcium) can be fed two or more times per week. You might have heard that raw egg whites contain a protein that binds with biotin, and that is true. However, to avoid deficiencies, feed the entire egg? yolk, whites, and shell? for the perfect balance of its nutrients.

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Egg yolks are an excellent source of magnesium, calcium, iron, folate, vitamins A, E, and B6, and free-range eggs have lots of beta-carotene. If you buy your eggs commercially, they are likely sprayed with wax and other chemicals to improve their appearance. These chemicals are harmful for your dog, so if you cannot find fresh, pasture raised farm eggs, feed commercial eggs without the shell and count them as a meat meal or purchase ground, organic eggshells to supplement when you are not feeding bones.

Food need not be weighed once you get a feel for how much to feed in a day. Every day, observe your puppy and put your hands on them. Does he or she look a little beefier than just a couple of days ago? If so, feed a little less. Does he or she look a tiny bit gaunt? Feed a little more.

Becoming attuned to these small changes will not only head off weight problems, but is also an excellent way to keep track of the general health of your dog. Be aware that your puppy may eat the same amount of food for a long time? I have noted that in many cases, a puppy of the age of about three months to a year will often barely increase its intake. That?s because as their bodies increase in size, requiring more food, their growth rate decreases, so they need less. It all evens out.

However, as a general rule of thumb, expect males to need more than females and expect ?intact? (unspayed and unneutered) dogs to need more than altered ones.

Knox, an English Mastiff puppy. Photo credit: Jennifer Lee

While overfeeding in adult dogs leads to obesity and can lead to serious health problems such as cardiorespiratory disease, we recognize other problems in puppies that result from the same practice of overfeeding and especially oversupplementing. It is necessary to feed the puppy enough to allow for controlled growth, but it is equally important to avoid overfeeding.

The elements of poor nutrition that have been scientifically proven to negatively impact muscular skeletal development in puppies are excessive and ?empty? calories and high or

Meshach enjoying chicken. Photo credit: Kim Bloomer

unbalanced mineral content? specifically supplemental calcium and phosphorus. Feeding whole animal parts with bone and skin intact, green tripe, and whole eggs (shells, whites, and yolks) will ensure your puppy gets the perfect balance of calcium to phosphorus. Excess calcium (specifically calcium from supplementation and/ or synthetic vitamins and minerals) can be very detrimental to the development of a healthy skeleton. The excessive and unbalanced calcium may result in skeletal malformation. Excess calcium from supplementation can also cause deficiencies in other nutrients, especially zinc. Feeding a diet with too little calcium is equally problematic; if you are not feeding a whole prey or prey model diet, then be sure to feed a bone meal or give raw egg shells a few times a week. A raw prey model 8

(parts of animals in appropriate amounts for the size of the puppy) diet has the perfect ratio of vitamins and minerals built right in. The higher the naturally occurring calcium and mineral content of the diet, the greater the level of absorption and assimilation into the developing bone structure of the puppy Key points to remember with a SARF diet: 1. Balance over time: one meal could have more bone content, another more meat or organ.

The approximate ratio to aim for overall is: 80% meat, sinew, ligaments, fat; 10% edible bone; 5% liver; and 5% other organ meat.

2. Meats are high in phosphorus, while bones are high in calcium. When meat is fed with 10% bone you have the exact ratios of calcium to phosphorus required by a dog.

3. Organ meat should not exceed 10% of the diet overall and 5% of that should be liver (beef liver has the highest nutrient levels).

Feed liver once a week (or several small servings per week), and try to find an organic, free range source if possible because the liver is responsible for filtering toxins out of the body.

Healthy muscular and skeletal factors for puppies There are several factors that contribute to the healthy muscular and skeletal development of puppies, including epigenetics, nutrition, and exercise on clean dirt in the sunshine.

There are a number of orthopedic disorders, which are problems affecting a dog's bones, joints, tendons, muscles, and nerves, which are cropping up more and more frequently as a result of poor feeding practices and improper exercise during the puppy's growth period.

These diseases include osteochondrosis, some forms of hip dysplasia, hypertrophic osteodystrophy, and Wobbler's syndrome.

When a puppy grows too fast and gains a lot of weight, it puts stress on the developing

skeleton. Rapid bone growth can result in structural defects of the bones, which makes the skeleton even less able to bear the increasing body weight.

Sometimes developing cartilage can't keep up with rapid bone growth, and cartilage defects can occur. We need to feed a diet that encourages healthy growth but not development that is faster than ideal for the puppy?s own body. This can vary, of course, as some breeds mature quickly and some do so more slowly. However, the key is to let the puppy?s own genetics, not the food it is eating, do the talking.

The majority of bone disorders begin in puppyhood. Feeding a SARF diet to puppies does two very important things for their health. Firstly, it allows them to grow slowly, which is crucial to avoid bone and joint disorders. Secondly, raw food is biologically appropriate and the levels of nutrients, protein, fat, and calcium are suitable for their growing bones and muscles. Processed pet food and home-cooked meals contain too much fat (plus cooked meals are not easily digested), protein, and synthetic calcium (and other vitamins and minerals added to the food are synthetic as well). This causes fast uneven growth, and too much synthetic calcium interferes with the absorption of other essential vitamins. The raw bone in a species-appropriate diet provides essential calcium, and the good news is that it will not interfere with vitamin absorption if the pup ingests too much bone; excessive amounts of raw bone are simply eliminated in the feces.

Raw diets, with their ideal mixture of protein (from the muscle-building flesh meats and organs) and calcium/ phosphorus (from bone-building, raw, soft bones, such as those found in poultry or rabbit), encourage slow, even growth. You are not as likely to see 9

drastic growth ?spurts? with a raw diet, but rest assured the growth will happen. Raw-fed puppies end up at exactly their genetic potential, and with a much-decreased risk of skeletal problems. All of this will mean a dog that grows older gracefully and maintains its skeletal vigor well into old age.

Slow, steady growth is a necessity while your dog is a puppy. The reason for this is simple: tissue (muscle, tendons, and ligaments) always grows at the same rate, regardless of food sources. Bones, however, are greatly variable in their growth rate depending on the nutrients, especially calories and calcium, present in the diet. A bone that grows faster than the muscle and ligament it is attached to is prone to all sorts of problems, from joint diseases to actual deformation. In addition, bone that grows faster than the genetic ideal for the puppy is also at a greater risk for ailments (such as panosteitis, which is an inflammation of the bone-making cells and connective tissue in the long bones of the legs) and joint problems like OCD (osteochondritis dissecans, which is an inflammatory condition that occurs when the cartilage covering the head of a joint separates from the underlying bone as it cracks and breaks) and HOD (hypertrophic oseodystrophy, a disease brought on by over-consumption of high-calorie, poor nutrition food, which causes fever, knotty joints, and tremendous pain).

Canine hip dysplasia: diet makes a difference The first six months of a puppy's life seem to be a critical time of development. The rate of growth can be astonishing. It is during this period that puppies are the most active. There is evidence to suggest that outdoor exercise is necessary to retain the depth of the acetabulum (the socket of the hipbone, into which the head of the femur fits). A healthy puppy is a lean puppy. Studies have proven that puppies kept lean and exercised regularly have a greatly reduced incidence of hip dysplasia when compared to

sibling puppies allowed to get cutely chubby and only walked or allowed a little yard play.

An interesting Norwegian study published in England in 1991 concluded that German Wirehaired Pointer, English Setter, Irish Setter, Gordon Setter, and Labrador Retriever puppies growing up during the spring and summer had a lower incidence rate of hip dysplasia than puppies growing up during autumn and winter. I mention this study to show that there are exercise as well as dietary factors at play in hip dysplasia.

There have been studies done that prove that hip dysplasia is not genetic, and yet the veterinary industry continues to keep breeders and puppy buyers in fear unless the breeding stock have had their hips X-rayed and evaluated by an expert veterinary radiologist. I strongly recommend reading Dr. Wendell O. Belfield?s writings on this subject (click here)? they are most enlightening, although ignored by many conventional veteranarians.

Hip dysplasia is not a ?genetic malformation of the hip socket,? as we have been led to believe; rather, it is the instability created by weak supportive ligaments that keep the body from being able to manufacture a deep, smooth hip socket for the ball to fit snuggly into. The sockets are shallow because of repetitive trauma to the developing bone (micro-fractures), which prevents the weight-bearing surface of the hip joint from forming properly. So what causes this lax and unstable condition in the cartilage and ligaments?

These maladies all have been found to be a result of a lack of healthy collagen? the building block of the entire skeletal system, which serves as elastic in the connective tissue. Collagen makes up approximately 30% of the protein in the body and is the protein

matrix for ligaments, tendons, cartilage, bones, organs, and even blood vessels. Failure of collagen to form properly can have catastrophic results, including skeletal abnormalities, polycystic organ syndromes (e.g. liver, kidneys), and severe vascular syndromes (e.g. aortic aneurysm). This is much more about epigenetics than genetics? puppies from parents who have been vaccinated and fed processed pet food diets are more likely to have weak collagen levels. An interesting study done on families with so-called food allergies revealed that 40% of first-degree relatives born to a celiac would develop the condition themselves. Just as interesting is that veterinary students are taught that if two OFA certified, hip dysplasia-free dogs were bred together, up to 40% of their litter? this exact same percentage? could be born with dysplasia. While celiac is a human disorder, we know that dogs, being carnivores, are not designed to eat and digest grains (or vegetables, dairy, or soy either) in the first place. Because generations of dogs have been eating processed pet food, which is void of nutrients and contains things that they are not designed to eat, could it be that their villi are so damaged that many are not able to properly absorb enough vitamin C from their diet? Also, remember that the vitamins and minerals added to the processed food are synthetic? any nutrition that may have been there prior to processing the original ingredients is destroyed by the processing. The body does not recognize synthetic vitamins, so they are treated as toxins. There is experimental evidence that vitamin C may play a role in bone mineralization by stimulating bone resorption.

One researcher has shown that a form of vitamin C called polyascorbate may be efficacious in treating the physical manifestations of canine hip dysplasia (CHD).

Remember, though, that when fed a prey model

WolfBear, a German Shepherd. Photo credit: Cheryl Olmstead

diet, puppies and/ or dogs do not require supplemental vitamin C. Dogs produce an enzyme called L-gulonolactone oxidase, which allows them to synthesize vitamin C from glucose. More importantly, vitamin C naturally occurs in organ meats, especially liver.

Feeding the species-appropriate diet that nature intended will support natural health and help provide the essential building blocks of a strong immune system and structure for your growing puppy!

Importance of exercise for the growing puppy Long-time dog breeders, especially breeders of large or giant breeds, believe that the majority of growth problems, such as poor conformation, incorrect movement, slipped hocks, being down in the pasterns, and general lack of soundness, are normally due to the puppy having poor nutrition and a lack of free exercise during the early stages of their development (under eight months of age).

Muscle development through proper nutrition and exercise is very important for the bones and joints to properly develop. At the same time, fast development in bone structure without the proper muscle development leads to straight angles and unsound structure.

Without a good amount of running and playing 11

throughout the course of each day in a puppy?s life, the muscle development necessary for good movement and soundness will not be there. Proper exercise as the puppies are growing will affect the overall condition and structure (conformation) of an animal, just like optimal nutrition has the ability to alter the structure of an animal. Puppies should be given as much free exercise throughout the day as possible. The muscle development necessary for a sound structure will never be there if the breeder does not lay that foundation and then encourage the new owner to continue.

While crates are considered an important part of the care and training of a puppy, if the puppy is sitting and laying in the same position over and over on a daily basis, this unnatural routine will affect the growing joints. Puppies should have a large area in which they can move around and play. Movement is all part of what a puppy needs, and natural play is what all puppies crave. Just walking a puppy around the block or in a park once or twice a day is not enough. ?Continued free will? movement is needed. A puppy with another dog to play with or lots of toys and a large area to be in outside is preferred to walking until they are at least four or five months old.

If the puppy can't stretch out and run at full speed at least daily, their movement, soundness, and form can be greatly compromised. Many of the muscle, joint, and skeletal issues seen in dogs today are due to the fact that as a puppy they spent more time sitting in a small space than playing in a large area where they could move around freely. As puppies grow, they need even more exercise. If you work long hours and have to leave your puppy home alone, they are much better off in a roomy area, such as a gated-off kitchen or a fenced-in outdoor kennel with access to both sun and shade, than in a crate that they can barely move around in and have no access to fresh air and sunlight. Many

breeders are afraid to exercise their puppies and even their adult dogs for fear of injury, but what needs to be realized is that most injuries are due to the fact that there is no strength of muscle to support the large bone and fast development on a growing dog. It is important to let appropriate size/ age dogs exercise together to help prevent seriously pulled muscles, cartilage, or disc damage. Littermates are ideal, if you are a breeder. The best combination is two puppies to a space where they can have free exercise in a fenced area. In younger puppies, several in a litter are fine to play together, but in older puppies, two is best, and three can cause problems, leaving one being picked on all the time and more apt to be injured.

Give your puppy access to sunshine, fresh air, and exercise on chemical-free grass and dirt.

Take short walks with your puppy and make a habit of playing outdoors a lot, as this will help your puppy mature into a dog with a sound mind and body. A puppy that has plenty of free exercise is easier to train, because they have drained their excess energy and can concentrate much more easily.

By Dr. Jeannie Thomason Taken with permission from the upcoming book Your New NR Puppy. Dr. Thomason's book Natural Rearing: Breeding and Raising Dogs The Way Nature Intended is being edited at this time and will be released soon.

Jeannie with her Standard Poodle, Connor.

Photo credit: Jeannie Thomason

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THOSEAMAZING,AWESOMEBONES Commercial or home-prepared, canned or raw, all balanced feline diets must contain whole bone or a substitute supplement. Unfortunately, the pet food industry began a highly successful campaign of misinformation in the 1980s that was critical of feeding ?people food? in general and bones in particular. Today, just the thought of bones makes pet owners shudder, and many neophyte raw feeders shy away from offering bone-in meals to their beloved kitties for fear of harming them.

Supplements are a poor substitute for the real thing, however, and every effort should be made to overcome these fears and allow cats the full natural expression of their carnivorous natures.

Why is whole bone important?

Nutrients Bone is composed of a handful of elements, but about 65?70% is comprised of the minerals calcium and phosphorus, which together form a calcium phosphate microcrystalline structure.

Collagen, a fibrous protein, and small amounts of chondroitin sulfate, keratin sulfate, and phospholipids, make up the remaining 30?35% .

Calcium and phosphorus are critical for the health of a cat?s bones and teeth. Of all the minerals, however, calcium is required in the greatest amount, especially in growing kittens. In addition to bones and teeth, it is essential for many functions, including blood clotting, muscle contraction? such as the heart?s pumping? and strength, and nerve impulse transmission. In addition, calcium is used to help blood vessels move blood and to release hormones and enzymes that affect almost every function in the body. Nursing females need it to produce sufficient levels of milk.

Ralph the cat, yawning. Photo credit: Tracy Dion

Phosphorus is also very important, but is found in fairly high concentrations in meat. Phosphorus deficiencies are rarely noted in cats offered high-protein diets.

Bone marrow is mostly a fat and blood mixture full of amino acids and other high-quality nutrients, and the cartilage that clings to bone is about 50% collagen. Collagen is important for a number of bodily processes and is the main component of skin, ligaments, and tendons. Adequate collagen in the diet inhibits joint pain, improves skin elasticity, and promotes quicker healing of bone fractures and skin wounds.

Feeding these elements in their natural form is the most effective and easiest way to ensure optimal digestion and absorption of the full nutrient profile. And, raw bone-in meals offer much more than just their basic nutrients.

Dental Health Eating whole bone offers unparalleled oral health benefits. Dental disease is at near-epidemic levels in the feline population? it?s estimated that more 13

than 85% of cats over three years old are suffering from periodontal disease? and has far-reaching health consequences. Toxins and bacteria from the mouth travel throughout the bloodstream, stressing the immune system and infecting other organs, especially the heart and kidneys. Dental disease contributes to other diseases that can be fatal. Teeth rot and cause intense pain that can go unnoticed for months, even years. Around 30?40% of healthy adult cats suffer from Feline Tooth Resorptive Lesions, sometimes referred to as FORLS, a painful condition in which the teeth are slowly destroyed from the outside in, and many others are inflicted with Feline Stomatitis, an autoimmune disorder that causes painful inflammation of the mouth and throat tissues.

A diet that includes tearing, ripping, and scissoring through raw meat, tendons, and bones provides the necessary stimulation to keep the cat?s mouth clean and healthy. The firm resistance of these foods increases the number, distribution, and tone of the capillaries in the gums, improving the metabolism and vitality of all of the supporting and surrounding structures of the cat?s mouth. The scraping action of the bones, muscle meats, and tendons keeps the teeth clean and prevents food build-up, gingivitis, and periodontal disease. A diet that includes whole bone is the single most effective method for preventing dental disease,

Meghan the cat. Photo credit: Tracy Dion

and can even reverse some damage and restore health to the oral cavity.

The alternative is brushing the cat?s teeth daily, something most feline owners find stressful for the cat and hazardous to their own health.

Digestive and Mental Health In addition to the near-irreplaceable oral health benefits, the very act of scissoring through raw meat and bone sets off a physiological chain reaction that releases a highly efficient combination of enzymes in the cat?s digestive system and this, combined with the extended time required to finish the meal, promotes a better digestive process. The cat?s meals are assimilated with more efficacy, as every bit of nutrition is absorbed from her food.

Finally, there is substantial anecdotal evidence that this active engagement in the eating process has several psychological benefits to the cat, including the satisfaction inherent in successfully meeting mental and physical challenges? eating becomes work! Cats fed a diet of meat chunks and whole bone seem to be calmer and less prone to aggression and discontent.

Risks No act in life is risk free, but offering your cat raw bone-in meals carries not much more risk of choking than offering her kibble. Raw bones are

Rachel the cat, yawning and showing off beautiful teeth. Photo credit: Tracy Dion

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soft and pliable and it is unlikely a cat will choke on them. Cats evolved to eat animals, bones and all, and most of them instinctively know how to go about it.

Chicken ribs or other bone-in meals cut too small may occasionally get stuck to the roof of the cat?s mouth or go down her throat sidewise, and inexperienced cats may try to swallow too-large a piece of bone-in meal. The former may cause panic until the cat can dislodge the food, and the latter will cause the cat to regurgitate what she unsuccessfully tried to swallow (after which, she?ll usually re-eat the meal in more manageable bites).

Both of these can be avoided by offering pieces that are too large to be swallowed in one gulp, forcing the cat to cut her food into perfectly bitesized and easily swallowed pieces.

You can virtually eliminate the chance of a chipped or broken tooth by feeding only thin and non-weight-bearing bones; think of the bones you would find in a mouse, bird, or small rabbit. A good rule of thumb for bone size or density: if you can?t cut it with shears, don?t feed it to your cat.

Of course, never, ever feed your cat cooked bones, as they are brittle and can cause serious damage when eaten.

Transitioning A domestic cat?s natural diet consists of about 5?7% whole bone? rodents are roughly 5% bone, birds are slightly less and rabbits run just under 10% ? and most prey model raw diets recommend 5?10% edible bone.

Three sizes of mice. Photo credit: Tracy Dion

Always leave meat on the bones! It?s how those bones are packaged in the wild and how you should offer them to your cat. This will encourage her to eat the meal and facilitate the smooth movement of the food when she swallows.

To transition, start with very small bones, like the ribs and wings from a Cornish Hen or half a quail (note: small bones, not small bites!). Cats fed commercial products all their lives need to learn how to use their jaws and teeth to scissor through meat and bones, and they have to build up their jaw strength to be able to do so. They also get discouraged fairly easily, so you want to start with the easiest bone-in meals you can offer.

Transition slowly, over a few weeks, to give the cat?s digestive system time to readjust to working at peak efficiency. If your cat throws up bones or you find a bit of bone in the stool, slow the transition even further.

Once your cat is familiar and comfortable with Cornish Hen and quail-sized bones, you can move up to chicken ribs and wings. Estimating how much bone each cat needs can be difficult, but a good rule of thumb is offering three bone-in meals a week (assuming you?re feeding three meals a day).

Half the edible bone on a chicken breast with ribs, or the tip and two middle bones of a chicken wing (the ?wingette?) both make suitably-sized bone-in meals for most cats. You can use that as your starting point and adjust from there.

Determine how much adjusting you need to do by watching your cat?s litter box. Firm but moist stools are perfect. Stools that are hard typically require a

The "wingette" and "drummette" of a chicken. Picture credit: Tracy Dion

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bit less bone in the diet and those that are loose require more; try not to exceed 10% however, as excessive amounts of bone can cause constipation.

Raw bones are neither dangerous nor scary, so why not let your kitty release her inner tiger by ripping into a real meat and bones meal tonight?

Conclusion

In our next issue, we will continue to discuss how to transition your cat to a species-appropriate diet, since this is one of the best things you can do to support your cat's health naturally.

The importance of raw bone-in meals is clear. Their nutrients, which are critical to good health, are provided in the perfect combination and form for maximum utilization. The flossing and cleaning of the teeth and gums promotes dental health and supports the immune system, and a clean, bacteriaand toxin-free mouth minimizes stress upon the cat?s organs. The evidence for digestive and mental health benefits is compelling, and there is minimal risk involved in offering appropriately sized bone-in meals.

By Tracy Dion Tracy Dion is a writer and feline care and behavior consultant, specializing in nutrition and feeding a species-appropriate diet. She has worked with rescue and shelter organizations rescuing and socializing cats, dogs, birds, rats, and reptiles for many years, but her focus for the last decade has been on cats. She is dedicated to improving their health and welfare through owner education, and is passionate about improving the owner/animal bond through increased understanding of natural feline behaviors and needs. She is a professional member of the Cat Writers?Association and past Editor of Raw Instincts Magazine, as well as the mind behind CatCentric.org.

Her articles have been published by the Feline Nutrition Education Society, the online magazines Raw Instincts and Catnip Chronicles, the American Council for Animal Naturopathy, and more.

Rachel the cat watching the squirrels out the window. Photo credit: Tracy Dion

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SUNSHINEANDSUPPLEMENTS

Knox and Clover, English Mastiffs, enjoying a stroll in the sunshine. Photo credit: Jennifer Lee

Welcome to the October/ November installment of our series on the eight laws of health. This article will take a look at the fourth law: the need for regular sunshine and (sometimes) supplements. The three previous articles in the series looked at nutrition, exercise, and clean water; the next four will look at the remaining laws: temperance, fresh air, rest, and trust. In this article, we will look at the importance of sunshine first, and then we will discuss why you might need to supplement, and for how long.

Life as we know it depends on the power of the sun. The sun provides energy, warmth, light, and even valuable nutrients. Just like humans, our companion animals need vitamin D3, which is found in sunlight. Contrary to what the name implies, vitamin D3 is actually a hormone, not a vitamin. It works to help regulate mineral metabolism and maintain the calcium balance in bones. So you see, vitamin D3 allows our dogs and cats to use the calcium that is in their food

properly. It also ensures that the minerals in the food are properly metabolized, which in turn allows their bodies to maintain balance and their immune systems to function at optimal levels.

Humans are able to get vital vitamin D3 through the sun?s rays. Our dogs and cats, however, get it a little differently. When we go into the sun, the natural oil in our skin reacts to the sun?s UV rays.

As the UV rays break down the chemical bonds in our natural skin oil, vitamin D3 is produced. At this point, vitamin D3 can be absorbed through our skin into the bloodstream. To get the required daily amount of vitamin D3, many experts recommend spending at least 10-15 minutes in the sun each day. Bear in mind, however, that sunscreen (which blocks the UV rays) inhibits vitamin D3 production; this means that the minimum 10?15 minutes that experts recommend must be done without sunscreen to have it count towards vitamin D3 production.

Pansy, a Chihuahua, enjoying a raw meaty bone in the sun. Photo credit: Bre Altherr

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Our dogs and cats secrete a similar oil from their skin. When they are in the sun, the same process occurs: the UV rays break the chemical bonds in the oil, resulting in the production of vitamin D3.

However, because of their fur, vitamin D3 does not get absorbed through the skin and passed into the bloodstream. Instead, it remains on their fur.

Nature, however, is able to get around this. When our cats and dogs groom themselves, they lick their fur. This allows them to ingest the vitamin D, which gets it into their bloodstream orally rather than through skin absorption.

If a dog or cat is allowed free access to sunshine, they will typically seek it out for short periods at a time. This is important, because, as we will see in the next installment of this series, all things must be done in moderation. It is not beneficial for either our animals or us to go out and bake in the sun for hours at a time. However, animals have an innate sense of how much sunlight they need. By giving them access to sunshine and letting them decide how long to stay in the sun, they will ensure they get enough sun. My own dogs regularly go outside even when it?s 100+ degrees Fahrenheit (they have a doggy door so they can go in and out as they please), and sun themselves daily, but often it?s only for 10 minutes or so at a time. Then they move to the shade or come back inside, before going back into the sun a little while later. Because they innately know to practice moderation when it comes to time spent in the sun, they don?t get sunburned, and they get all the vitamin D3 they need.

If your dog or cat doesn?t have free access to sunshine, make sure that you take them outside every day, preferably before 10 AM or after 4 PM when the sun is less intense, to give them a chance to benefit from the sun?s rays. This can often be done in conjunction with their exercise, which is most rewarding when it?s done outside. This goes for dogs and cats? even indoor cats benefit greatly from supervised time outside. You can take them out on a harness and leash, or put them in a safe enclosure where they have access to both sun

Gryphon outside in his enclosure. Photo credit: Kristin Clark

and shade. My cat, Gryphon, goes outside to a safe enclosure every day, where he can play in the grass, sunbathe (and move into the shade when he wishes), and feel the fresh air. I also sometimes take him out on a harness and leash and let him cruise around; this gives him some fun exercise while letting him get the benefit of the sun?s rays. For more about this, please see the article The Importance of Exercise in the June/ July 2015 issue of Raw Pet Digest.

The other aspect of the fourth law of health is supplements. It is important to realize that most animals have had some sort of damage done, either from vaccinations, a poor diet, or some other reason. Therefore, a species-appropriate diet and supplements help repair the damage that has been done. Some examples of supplements are probiotics, enzymes, and colostrum. Probiotics and enzymes are especially critical when switching carnivores from a processed pet food diet to a raw diet, especially if that animal has been vaccinated. Many of our carnivore pets' enzymes, vitamins, and minerals have been depleted by their diet, and often they are further reduced by the toxic vaccines and other ?preventatives? (such as flea and tick medicines and heartworm pills) they may have been given. Even after switching to a 19

Oh,sunlight! Themost preciousgoldtobefound onEarth.

-Roman Payne

Merlin playing in the snow. Photo credit: Bre Altherr

towards optimal and natural health (you can find one by clicking here). They may recommend that you supplement your pet with something to help boost the immune system and bring the body back into balance.

Barkley enjoying the early morning sun on a hike.

Photo credit: Kristin Clark

species-appropriate raw food diet, though, supplements may still be needed. Because so much of our soil has been depleted through improper management, the herbivores that graze on the soil cannot get all the required nutrients, which in turn means the carnivores are depleted of vital nutrients.

Once you have switched your cat or dog over to a species-appropriate diet, stopped vaccinating to the maximum extent possible, and stopped giving preventatives such as flea and tick medications and heartworm pills, your pet will most likely go through a period of detox, or healing response. We talked about the healing response quite a bit in the April/ May 2015 issue of Raw Pet Digest, but essentially, the healing response (also called a healing crisis) occurs when the body starts to detoxify. It is the initial phase of healing, but it can often seem as though your pet?s issues are getting worse. For example, if your pet was experiencing allergy symptoms that were suppressed with conventional means, you may see more intense allergy symptoms during the healing response. This is a sign that the body is clearing itself of toxins and that actual healing is starting to take place.

Often, it is useful to supplement during the healing response phase, especially if the detox is happening quickly and is intense. As always, I recommend that you consult a certified animal naturopath if you need help with your pet?s journey

If you do supplement, remember that the ultimate goal is to help empower the body to achieve and maintain balance on its own through the proper application of the eight laws of health.

I think of supplements as training wheels on a bicycle. They are very helpful when a child is first learning to ride a bike, because they provide additional support as the child learns to balance, pedal, and control the bike. However, as soon as the basics have been mastered, the training wheels come off. While there may be general guidelines as to how long this will take, it varies by child. So many circumstances can have an impact on how long the training wheels have to stay on? the fitness of the child, their inherent balance, how often they ride their bike, and even their attitude about the training wheels (do they want them off as soon as possible, or are they content to leave them on until the parent decides it?s time they came off?). All of these things contribute to the length of time training wheels are used. Supplements are the same way. They are not intended to be used for the rest of your animal?s life, but it is also impossible to say how long each animal will need them. The overall

Meshach playing in the sun. Photo credit: Kim Bloomer

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health of the animal, the length of the healing response, the type of imbalance symptoms your pet experiences, and even the attitude of the owner and the pet itself all play key roles in supplementation.

That is why it may be advisable to seek professional guidance when deciding what type of supplements, if any, your pet needs, and for how long. The supplements should be used as a support to the immune system as it works to become strong and balanced; they should not be used as an attempt to ?heal? the animal in and of themselves. I emphasize this point because it is crucial to understand: the animal?s own body does the healing, not the supplements. However, they can be incredibly valuable in assisting the body as it realigns and rebalances. Getting in tune with your pet is vital in being able to gauge the effectiveness and need for any supplements that are given.

Both aspects of the fourth law of health are vital when it comes to helping your pet maintain health naturally. Allowing them access to sunshine when they want (or giving them a chance to get out in the sun every day if they can?t have free access) is so important to making sure that they get the appropriate amount of vitamin D3. Additionally, if it proves necessary, assisting them with supplements in a responsible and judicious manner can help greatly in making their immune systems stronger and better able to maintain health naturally. As with all of the laws of health, following this law will help ensure that your beloved pets will thrive.

By Kristin Clark

King, an American Bully, enjoying the sun. Photo credit: Kim Bloomer

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PLANTSANDCARNIVORES Many people point to the power of fruits and vegetables to fight off disease, support the body in health, and provide vital nutrients.

There are lots of studies that show how various fruits and vegetables contain extraordinarily powerful properties that aid in health. These studies, which are usually done with humans (or omnivores), are often held up as though they are also true for non-humans, even carnivores like our dogs and cats. Since these properties are inherent in the fruits and vegetables, the thinking often seems to be that they are good for anyone (human or animal) that eats them.

For example, I often hear people talk about leafy green vegetables being important in warding off cancer. I hear them say that pumpkin can add valuable fiber to a pet?s diet and help firm up their stool (indeed, I used to regularly give pumpkin myself, before I learned about feeding a species-appropriate diet!). I have recently read several articles by various veterinarians and other people involved in pet health, and all of them have referenced studies that pointed to the inherent disease-fighting properties of fruits and vegetables as a reason to feed our carnivore pets fruits, vegetables, and even grains.

However, what the people who reference these studies don?t take into account is that our carnivore pets have a completely different digestive system than omnivores do. They cannot break down the plant material like omnivores can, which means they cannot access the nutrients and other healthy properties of the fruit or vegetable being consumed. And actually, it isn?t just a matter of them not being able to access the nutrients.

Because their digestive system can?t readily break the plant material down, it stresses the various digestive organs because they are

Basket of fruits and vegetables. Š Amenic181 | Dreamstime.com

being asked to do something they weren?t designed to do.

Carnivores don?t possess amylase in their saliva, which means that the digestive process cannot begin in the mouth as it does for herbivores and omnivores.

Furthermore, carnivores cannot chew their food, which means they cannot grind their food and aid in the breakdown of plant material. They are designed to shred, tear, and gulp their food, and rely on the high acidity in the stomach and their relatively short intestines to break down the food. Plant matter, however, takes a longer amount of time to break down, which is why herbivores and omnivores have longer intestines and a longer colon than carnivores.

These organs in a herbivore or omnivore are designed to help them pull out all the nutrients in the plant material. Carnivores, though, cannot take advantage of the nutrients in these plants, because their systems are designed totally differently.

When carnivores eat a species-appropriate diet, they are eating exactly what they were designed for: raw meat, bones, and organs/ glands. Their prey may have some vegetable material in their stomach which the carnivore may or may not consume (in many instances, they shake the stomach out before eating 23

it, but not always). However, if they do end up consuming the plant material that was in the stomach of their prey, it has been broken down already. Their internal systems don?t have to do the work of breaking it down. Also, it is a small percentage of the overall food intake, and certainly not anything that their bodies rely on to meet nutritional needs.

Because we are omnivores, and because we have been conditioned as a society to eat processed foods, there has been a big push to eat raw, natural food. This is wonderful for us as people, but much of the thinking has spilled over onto how we feed our pets. We know that when we eat spinach or broccoli or pineapple, or any of a hundred other fruits and vegetables, that we are consuming food that is healthy and nutritious. And of course, we want

to share those same benefits with our pets.

However, we forget that they are not omnivores like we are. They are carnivores, and that means that they rely on meat, bones, organs, and glands for their nutrients.

Providing them with a species-appropriate diet will go a long way towards giving their bodies the support they need to survive and thrive. The key here is ?species-appropriate?? we should focus on giving them what is appropriate for their particular species rather than what is appropriate for our species. After all, while most of us consider our dogs and cats to be part of our family, they are not the same as we are. In loving our pets, we should honor their nature, even if it is different than ours.

By Kristin Clark

Barkley laying in the begonias. Photo credit: Jess Neuner

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SPOTLIGHTONHEALTH: CAROLEMILLIGAN Welcome to the second installment of our new series that aims to bring you information about businesses that can help educate you in how to help your pet achieve natural health. Our goal is to bring you a wide array of businesses so that you have options when your pet needs extra support in achieving and maintaining real health. In this installment, we bring you a feature about Pawsitive Carnivore Pet Health.

If you are looking for a great way to learn more about how to feed your pet a species-appropriate diet, eliminate toxins in your home (which will help both you and your pet!), or if you have questions about how to help your pet thrive and feel their best, then you may want to set up a consultation with Carole Milligan, owner of Pawsitive Carnivore.

Read on for more information about her, her business, and how she may be able to help your cat or dog.

Carole and her husband have both had dogs all of their lives, but like so many of us, they were initially only aware of conventional methods of care for them (such as feeding them processed

Woody and Bella at the park. Photo credit: Carole Milligan

pet food, vaccinating yearly, and taking them to ?well dog? veterinary visits). Her dogs, she says, generally lived to be eleven or twelve; they thought this was because they were large dogs. Like so many of us are, they were told that large dogs had shorter lives.

In June of 2011, they had to put their Great Dane, Tigger, to sleep. They started searching for another Great Dane, and came across Zona Danes, which had available puppies. The breeder, Barbie, followed natural rearing practices, such as feeding raw food to her dogs and following the natural laws of health.

They decided they wanted to get one of her beautiful puppies, and agreed to feed raw food to the puppy they got from her. When they brought their puppy, Woody, home, they decided to switch their ?senior? dog, Bella (she was nine years old), over to a species-appropriate diet as well. Carole says, ?Bella had various chronic health problems that were considered ?normal? for an older dog. Her health improved greatly after the change to raw food. When I had the proof of improved health for my pets right in front of my eyes, I decided to enroll online in distance learning courses at the American Council of Animal Naturopathy (A.C.A.N.) in order to learn more about carnivore nutrition. I am inspired everyday that our old girl Bella is now 13 years of age. I am positive that her life expectancy has been improved because we changed her diet to raw food.? In 2013, Carole became certified in Carnivore Nutrition from A.C.A.N. She is also a member of the Association of Drugless Practitioners, and a member of the Feline Nutrition Education Society.

Carole?s primary focus is on pet health and nutrition.

She follows the eight laws of health and coaches her clients to do the same for their animals. She also educates her clients about common toxins, which are present everywhere? in our foods, personal care products, and surrounding environment. At Pawsitive Carnivore Pet Health, Carole offers two consultation options. The first one is Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. With this option, Carole provides a 25

general introduction to naturopathic principles, gives information about a species-specific diet for carnivore pets, and discusses the laws of natural health. This consultation option gives the client general strategies for a healthy lifestyle for their pet.

The second type of consultation also provides the introduction to naturopathic principles, information about the right diet for carnivore pets, as well as a personalized evaluation of a pet?s lifestyle and environment. Information about detoxification and transitioning a pet to a raw diet, as well as a step-by-step action plan to follow, are included. Both types of consultation include supportive educational resources and a follow-up support phone call if needed by the client.

I asked Carole what she thought was the most important thing for people to understand about helping their pets achieve and maintain health naturally. Her answer was enlightening: ?I find that the most important thing is that clients must realize they have to ?un-learn? and discard their long-held beliefs about how to take care of their cats and dogs. A favorite quote of mine is from Dr. Johan Joubert, who was a veterinarian dentist in the UK. He said, ?Acknowledge, accept, and become proactive.?

This quote demonstrates the change in mindset that must be achieved in order to take proper care of our pets. We must acknowledge that what we knew about pet care was incorrect, we must accept the fact that our dogs and cats are carnivores and that they thrive when the laws of natural health are followed, and we must choose to become proactive to provide a better life for our pets.?

Most consultations are done by email. If you are interested in a consultation, you can review the consultation options mentioned on the website. To access her website, click here. All consultations must be paid in advance; when

payment is received, Carole sends a detailed Health History Questionnaire to fill out, as well as Authorization and Disclosure forms. Once she receives the filled-out forms, she will research and write the consultation and email it directly back to you. Having a copy of the written consultation is especially useful, since it can be read and used as a reference. However, if you prefer, she will use Skype or phone to talk with you instead.

Carole points out the many changes that animals go through when their immune systems are supported. For example, she says her own dog, Bella, became healthier after they started feeding her a raw diet. Her frequent ear infections stopped, her skin stopped being itchy, her dental problems disappeared, and her anal glands stopped getting impacted. She also points out that, when you switch a carnivore to a species-appropriate diet, their stools are smaller, much less smelly, a lot less attractive to flies, and much easier to clean up.

Carole?s mission and passion is to promote health for pets by educating her clients. She finds it very rewarding when someone understands the harmful effects of processed foods and toxins in the environment, and how to provide a better life for his or her pet. And, she

Carole's cat Laurel relaxing on the sofa.

Photo credit: Carole Milligan

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says, often, after providing a better life for a beloved pet, clients are inspired to follow a healthier lifestyle for themselves. If you would like to set up a consultation with Carole, visit her website by clicking here. You can also email her at pawsitivecarnivore@outlook.com or call her at 818-348-8421.

If you prefer to contact her via regular mail, her mailing address is: Pawsitive Carnivore Pet Health P.O. Box 8762 Calabasas, CA 91372 Her office hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00 A.M. to 5:00 P. M. Pacific time.

By Kristin Clark

Carole, Woody, and Bella. Photo credit: Carole Milligan

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VACCINATIONSANDYOURPET

Vaccine syringes. Photo credit: Dreamstime.com

The health benefits of vaccination as a way of immunizing people and animals against disease is so ingrained in our thinking that being opposed to vaccination initiates one of the hottest of ?hot potato? discussions. It causes heated debate both for and against, but mainly for, and once you bring babies and puppies into the argument, many people feel it is sheer heresy not to be pro-vaccination. So why is vaccination such a provocative subject? It is due to ignorance, fear, indoctrination, lies, and money. Money-making is at the root of the vaccine industry; your health and the health of your pets is not the motivating force.

The idea of vaccinating against disease was first conceived by the Chinese (who abandoned the concept because they found it didn?t work), and then 300 years later by the English physician, Edward Jenner. He developed the first injected vaccine as a way of immunizing people against smallpox, one of the biggest killers of the time.

In 1796, Jenner tested his theory, drawn from anecdotes that milk maids who got cowpox (a much milder disease) didn?t ever contract the more serious smallpox. He experimented on an eight-year-old boy by inserting pus taken from a cowpox pustule into an incision on the boy's arm.

He subsequently proved that, having been ?inoculated? with cowpox, the boy was immune to smallpox. At first his ideas were rejected, but Jenner continued his work and experimented on several other children, including his own 11-month-old son. In 1798, his results were published and the word vaccine was born from the Latin vacca, which means cow.

Despite being based on flawed science at the outset, vaccination as a way of immunizing against disease has grown into a billion-dollar industry. Within just a decade of Jenner?s first publication, it was clear that there were major flaws in the concept of vaccination: it did not produce lifelong immunity to smallpox. Worse still, it appeared that people who had been

vaccinated became more vulnerable to the disease.

Sir Thomas Chambers, Q.C.M.P., recorder of the city of London in the late 1800s, said of a smallpox outbreak: ?I find that of the 155 persons admitted to the Smallpox Hospital in the Parish of St. James, Piccadilly, 145 had been vaccinated.?

So we know that as long ago as the late 1800s, the theory of vaccines as a way of disease prevention had problems; depleting rather than boosting health, vaccines still managed to develop into the huge business they have become today. Like a dogmatic religion that is followed without question, the assumption that vaccination offers immunization is believed without question by all but a very few. And like many religions, it is the fear of what might happen if you don?t toe the line that keeps many people vaccinating without questioning what they are doing. Most parents and animal owners have their babies, puppies, and kittens vaccinated, believing it is the most responsible and safe thing do. It's what everybody else does, and it's what their doctors and vets recommend. Over a child?s lifetime, they receive numerous vaccinations, and this continues through their teens and young adulthood. Pets get vaccinated every year, for no scientifically based

Cow in pasture. Photo credit: Yurikr, Dreamstime.com

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reason, and certainly not because the vaccine?s supposed efficacy only lasts one year. Where did that idea come from? Could it be because of the huge sums of money that doctors and veterinarians, as well as the drug manufacturers, get from regular, yearly vaccinations? And all the time the person continues to think they are doing the right thing. My neighbors are a good example. They have four dogs and often describe themselves as ?responsible? owners as they get their dogs vaccinated every year. But is it responsible to vaccinate without question?

My nephew became a type 1 diabetic within three weeks of starting university following a recommended vaccine. A coincidence? I would say not, as there is no diabetes in either parent?s family history. According to Dr. Patricia Jordan, ?Vaccination is a dysregulator of the immune system and disorganizer of the endocrine system.? Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease in which the body attacks its own beta cells (found in the pancreas) and destroys their ability to make insulin. It would make sense then that vaccines, which disrupt the immune system and corrupt the endocrine system, could ?push? a person or animal to develop diabetes.

My beautiful cat Dexter, who passed away at age 9 from diabetes.

Photo credit: Kristin Clark

In humans, we are seeing a massive rise in diabetes throughout the world. Dogs and cats are presenting with diabetes at an alarming rate. And in horses we are seeing a similar rise in insulin resistance and laminitis, both of which are fast becoming common equine diseases. Matching this is the ever-expanding vaccine schedule.

So, let?s look in more detail at some of the health issues relating to vaccination and the lies used to prop up the false claims of vaccine?s efficacy. In his book Vaccinosis and Its Cure by Thuja, the homeopathic doctor James Compton Burnet asks ?Wherein does the protective power of vaccination consist?? This is a great question. Just how does a vaccine protect the body from disease? The theory is based on the assumption that by injecting a small amount of a specific disease into the body, the immune system will generate antibodies. In turn, if the immune system comes into contact with that disease at a later date, it will recognize it immediately and mount a speedy defense. While fine in theory, this isn?t how disease normally or naturally enters the body. As Dr. Jordan points out, ?Vaccines are not the pathogens as we would encounter them, and injecting them into a body and bypassing the normal route of engagement will bring forth a host of both genetic and immune response distortions.? Also, as Dr. Jordan points out, you actually get the same antibody response by injecting toilet water into the body!

By injecting disease straight into the blood system, it bypasses the natural route of entry and normal protective response of the immune system. Nearly all disease-causing agents have to pass through the mucous membranes of the mouth and nose, or the digestive and respiratory systems. A healthy person or animal has a perfect immune system to do the job of defense. We bring forth a fever to burn off a virus, we vomit or have diarrhea (or both at the same time!) to eliminate germs and toxins, we lose our appetite to divert energy away from metabolism and non-essential functions to be used instead for cellular healing. We need that life-force energy freed up to mount our defense; this can be tremendously 30

clearing and detoxifying for the body, and if managed correctly will strengthen the immune system, not weaken it. Diseased matter injected directly into the blood system is a totally different thing. And, it is not just the disease itself that is injected into the body when a vaccine is given. There are various other ingredients, called adjuvants, that are also injected; many of them are highly toxic. When the immune system is bypassed in this way, the body doesn?t respond normally and worse, vaccines alter and corrupt the immune system.

This has serious consequences: as Dr. Martin Goldstein says in his book The Nature of Animal Healing, ?I think that vaccines are the leading killers of dogs and cats in America today.?

The efficacy of vaccines Remarkably, no vaccination has ever been clinically proven to be effective in preventing disease. No vaccination has ever undergone any independent, controlled, double-blind study to determine safety and effectiveness. Neither have there been long-term gene-impact studies.

Graphs of data collected since the turn of the last century show that the majority of the decreases in deaths from infectious disease for which we now have vaccines occurred before the vaccines were introduced. We can see this in the case of whooping cough in the 1950s and in the case of measles in the late 1960s. But this isn?t what we are told, either by doctors or by vets. The fear mongering and lies begin with the pharmaceutical companies and continue to be taught in medical and veterinary schools.

Students learn that people used to die in the thousands or even hundreds of thousands from diseases like diphtheria, whooping cough, and measles, and they stopped dying because of the introduction of vaccines. This is simply not the truth. If you take just one disease, such as measles, and look at the data from the 1900s, it is indisputably clear that the death rate from measles had dropped by 99% by the time the vaccine was added to the schedule. Disease

rates were dropping due to better sanitation, clean water, hygiene, nutrition, and quarantine.

Far from aiding in the prevention of disease, vaccines actually keep diseases in play which would otherwise have died out. After 1970, every case of polio was caused by the vaccine form of the virus.

Vaccines weaken the immune system and make us more vulnerable to the very diseases we are being vaccinated against. How many people do you know who get an annual flu shot and then get flu? Worse, flu vaccines (and others) contain mercury, which is linked to senility diseases and a host of other heavy metal toxicity problems, such as autism. Today, just as in the 1800s, measles outbreaks tend to be amongst the vaccinated population, and research shows it is the vaccine strain of measles infecting people, not the wild virus. How does this not ring alarm bells for the people responsible for recommending vaccines?

It is shocking to the core to wake up to the realization that we have been continually lied to by those with the power and influence to affect our lives and our health. It is hard to access the truth when the media is largely directed by pharmaceutical companies who have the power to pressure governments to do what they want. Bad press about vaccine damage and vaccine ineffectiveness is kept out of the news, and in turn out of the public consciousness.

Nowadays we have a tidal wave of vaccinations being inflicted on children and animals. Not only do they not provide protection against disease, they seriously harm us and our pets, leading to cancer, autoimmune disorders, diabetes, asthma, and heart disease. The disease may not manifest for many years, but the kernel of that disease will be traceable back to vaccination. Dr. Jordan points out that ?the increase in cancer has risen with the increased use of vaccines.? The links are often invisible unless the reaction is acute (for example, muscle soreness, stiffness, swelling, or flu-like symptoms). Many animals experience swelling or pain at the injection site, inflammation of local muscles, or difficulty moving their head and neck. Acute symptoms usually 31

subside after a few days, but it doesn?t mean that no lasting damage was done. The vaccine damage can lie dormant and manifest as disease when conditions are favorable, such as in times of stress or physical exhaustion, or when the diet is poor. Vaccine damage is a ticking time bomb.

To achieve true natural immunity, our pets (and our children) need to come into contact with disease in a natural way to help mature their immune system. In the current model, vaccines are dysregulating their immune systems in a cascade of different ways. They weaken the animal?s health and cause transmutations of their genes (with this transmutation being inheritable by the next generation).

Vaccine reactions are many and varied, but they are largely unreported by doctors and vets unless they are immediate or acute and occur within at least 48 hours of the vaccine being administered. But reactions can and do occur months and years later, especially if the vaccine is contaminated (as in the case of the Live Polio vaccine, which was contaminated with the cancer-causing virus SV-40). Because of the unpredictable length of time it can take for symptoms to appear, and the insidious way vaccines destroy the immune system, vaccine-related illness often goes unconnected to the vaccine which caused it. Allopathic doctors don?t make the link back to the vaccine if a cancer develops many years later, not even when the cancer forms a tumour at the injection site. In 1993, the Kass study of 45 cats showed that the risk of vaccine-associated sarcomas increased with the increasing number of vaccines administered.

All vaccines are only supposed to be given to healthy animals. But how many animals are completely healthy these days? The American Association of Equine Practitioners clearly states that ?the administration of multiple vaccines at the same time may increase the risk of adverse reactions.? Yet, many equine vaccines are given in multiple combinations of up to five or six at a time.

Many vaccines given to our dogs and cats are also given in multiple combinations. Here in Spain, the equine influenza vaccine is combined with tetanus.

This doesn?t make any sense, since tetanus is ?recommended? once every 10 years, whereas the flu vaccine is an annual vaccine. Our domestic animals are subjected to repeated over-vaccination, and it is important to ask why. Is it for convenience?

Money? Ignorance? Only be asking why can we begin to address the problem.

To compare the health of a non-vaccinated community with a vaccinated population, we can look at the health of the Amish people in America.

They do not experience autism, even though it is increasing at alarming rates (especially in America, which is a highly vaccinated population). Autism has been linked to the triple MMR vaccine by Dr. Andrew Wakefield. Interestingly, the Amish communities are also much healthier than other

In animals, we are seeing more of what are becoming ?commonly accepted? illnesses which are related to vaccine damage. Known as vaccinosis by homoeopaths, chronic illness arises or is triggered by vaccination. Examples of such illnesses are cancer, diabetes, immune dysfunctions, and behavioral changes.

Dexter and Gryphon playing together. Photo credit: Kristin Clark 32

American communities and don?t suffer from the major chronic health issues of today: heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. This may not be due entirely to being unvaccinated, but the common factor always seems to point to the absence of vaccinations.

The dangers of vaccines Dr. Viera Scheibner said, ?There is no evidence whatsoever of the ability of vaccines to prevent any diseases. To the contrary, there is a great wealth of evidence that they cause serious effects.? So how do vaccines do harm? It is beyond the scope of this article to cover the enormity of this subject, but here are some of the most important points. Crucially, vaccines disrupt the normal function of the immune system and cause genetic mutation. They weaken our life force and leave us vulnerable to disease. Adverse reactions to vaccines include: death, brain damage, neurological damage, immune system damage, severe allergic reactions, seizures and convulsions, SIDS, sensory impairment, bowel disorders, blood disorders, autism, diabetes, Guillain Barr Syndrome, eye diseases, and nutrient deficiencies, such as Vitamin D, E, and B12. They also adversely affect the egg and sperm, and thus vaccine damage goes down the line.

Vaccines also contain a host of poisonous ingredients and disease-causing contaminants.

One of these toxins, mercury, is used as a preservative in vaccines. Mercury accumulates in the mitochondria of cells and damages cell communication. It is a known neurotoxin (interestingly, we get the phrase ?mad as a hatter? from hat makers in the past, as they used mercury in hat making processes and often went mad as a consequence!). Mercury in vaccines is linked to the rise of both autism and dementia. It causes damage which affects brain cells.

Aluminium, another highly toxic metal, is also added to vaccines as an adjuvant, in order to stimulate and increase the immune response.

Research published in Current Medical Chemistry

in 2011 stated, ?Aluminium adjuvants have been clearly shown to induce serious immunological disorders in humans. In particular, aluminium in adjuvant form carries a risk for autoimmunity, long-term brain inflammation, and associated neurological complications, and may thus have profound and widespread adverse health consequences.?

Worryingly, most people have little idea what is in a vaccine. I asked a few friends recently what they thought was in the last vaccine they had. ?Just a tiny bit of the disease in some sort of sterile fluid,? they said! They were shocked when I said that it also contains mercury (still in many vaccines), aluminium, monkey kidney tissue or some other animal-derived tissue (even human foetal cell tissue), egg protein, pus, formaldehyde, latex, detergent, monosodium glutamate, and peanut oil. Is it any surprise that so many children have a serious allergic response to nuts, MSG, or latex?

Vaccination is a tragic failure because it is based on a false theory: the germ theory of disease proposed

by Louis Pasteur. Germ theorists view disease as a ruthless enemy that must be fought and killed by poisonous drugs or outwitted by injecting a form of the disease into the blood stream, thus creating antibodies to that disease. These antibodies are said to make war on disease germs. But we now know that germs are not the cause of disease; the terrain is everything, the germ is nothing. The state of our immune system is what determines if and how we become ill; we are not vulnerable to every germ that comes along. Germs play a crucial role in health and disease. They are found everywhere in nature, ready to do their job, whether it be as scavengers working on decaying waste, or helping to decompose and renew the body?s cellular structure. This is something that continually takes place inside us.

Germs are an inseparable part of the intelligent symbiosis of life. Disease is a cleansing effort of the body in its attempt to rid itself of excess toxins, waste matter, and congestion. Disease is not something to be cured; it is a cure.

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The whole theory of vaccination is based on the misconception that germs cause disease and must be counteracted with vaccines.

Vaccination is not only ineffective; it is positively harmful. Vaccination has utterly failed to fulfill the promises made for it by Jenner and his supporters, and it has left a legacy of weakened health and vaccine-induced chronic disease.

True immunity from disease starts with optimum health, and the cornerstone of health is a species-appropriate diet and adequate nutrients. Many infectious diseases are diseases of nutritional deficiency. How many pets these days are fed processed foods manufactured from GMOs, high in sugar, lacking freshness or variety, and depleted of nutrients? A healthy animal that is eating a fresh, varied, species-appropriate diet will have a healthy immune system to take care of anything it encounters. Our animals, like us, inherit immunity from their parents (and through the mother?s milk) and continue to

acquire immunity with each disease they encounter. These diseases, contracted at the right time in life, are important milestones in the development of the immune system and the species. Whenever our immune system encounters a threat naturally, it develops positively and is better able to counter threats in the future. Health is a lifestyle which honors the laws of nature; it cannot be found in a vaccine.

By Midi Fairgrieve Midi is a Nutritional Therapist, Progressive Counsellor, Natural Spiritual Healer, and Founder of Detox International Retreats.

Originally from Scotland, Midi moved to Spain with her family 11 years ago to set up a detox retreat company. Her philosophy is based on a holistic approach to detoxification as a way of helping the body to heal itself.

Three years ago Midi bought her soul horse Sultan, who had colic, and naturally turned to nutrition for the answers. As the colic subsided, Sultan started to get sweet itch, so severely that it led her to start the ACAN course in Equine Naturopathy, seeking answers to his condition and ways to help him heal.

Midi lives with her partner Steve and their son, Joe, on a small organic finca in the mountains with three horses, six hens, one dog, and a cat, surrounded by olive and almond trees.

Midi with Sultan. Photo credit: Midi Fairgrieve 34

CRANIOSACRALTHERAPY

Hands-on therapy with dog. Š Leela2414 | Dreamstime.com

If you?re like me, you want to learn as much as you can about all the different options and support available to help your animals thrive. Of course that means following the eight laws of health and approaching things as naturally as possible, but sometimes your pet may need a little extra support. Every animal responds differently to different ?treatments,? and so it's a good idea to familiarize yourself with as many potential options as you can when it comes to different ?healing? modalities for your pet.

Ultimately, of course, the body heals itself, but sometimes it needs a little extra help. We have discussed such things as essential oils and chiropractic for animals in previous issues; this

article focuses on another modality: CranioSacral Therapy.

CranioSacral Therapy, or CST, was developed by Dr. John Upledger during the late 1970s and early 1980s. CST is a very gentle, hands-on treatment that can be used to help both animals and people with a multitude of issues. CST deals with what Dr. Upledger called the craniosacral system. This system is composed of a waterproof membrane that goes around the brain and spinal cord and carries cerebrospinal fluid. Because the system carries fluid, it is essentially hydraulic and, for optimal health, must be free to move at all times. CST gently removes restrictions and blockages to the system that could have resulted from injuries or illness. By alleviating these restrictions, CST can 35

greatly improve the health of the brain and spinal cord, which of course has a positive benefit on the entire body.

In order to understand a bit more about how CST works, let?s talk a little bit about the system itself. There are three cranial membranes: the dura mater (outer membrane), the arachnoid membrane (middle membrane), and the pia mater (innermost membrane). The dura mater, which is quite tough, nevertheless still has a small amount of give, or elasticity, in it. The arachnoid membrane contains a large amount of blood vessels. The pia matter covers the surface of the brain. Each of these membranes goes from the head down through the spine and into the sacrum. To keep everything healthy, each layer should be able to move independently of the others. It is partly due to their ability to glide that you can and your pet can bend and twist.

The healthier these membranes are, the healthier the entire body is, because they tie into the nervous system.

It?s interesting to note that the dura mater is sometimes (although not always) attached to bone, especially in the skull. This allows CST practitioners to use the skull bones to move the

Hands-on therapy for cat. Š Lanaral | Dreamstime.com

membranes and thereby release the restrictions and adhesions that may exist. It?s important also to understand that, contrary to popular belief, bones are not stationary. They need to be able to move; this is accomplished through the collagen and elastic fibers found throughout the body. In particular, there are various areas called sutures (such as the coronal and sagittal sutures) in the skull that, when healthy, move slightly (perhaps a millimeter or two).

A good CST practitioner will be able to feel the sutural movements; if the suture doesn?t move, there is something wrong. That is where CST comes in: it allows the practitioner to release adhesions and blockages so that the sutures can move again. This is done very gently, with no thrusting or sudden pushing. In general, the level of pressure required is akin to sliding a penny across the surface of a table.

The practitioner will work in such a way that there is resistance to a place where movement is occurring the most, and rely on the hydraulic system to open up the stuck place. This is possible because, with the hydraulic system, pushing in one place actually affects all the rest of the cerebrospinal fluid, and therefore you can affect all the places where there are adhesions.

The craniosacral system and its function is a relatively recent ?discovery? by Dr. Upledger. Once he discovered it, he developed the hands-on treatment of CST to treat the craniosacral system.

Once the practitioner has evaluated the patient? human or animal? they essentially ?guide? the body into healing itself. Through the hydraulic system I mentioned above, they are able to influence areas of blockages. Those blockages could have come about when an illness or injury occurred. For example, perhaps your pet jumped off of something and wrenched their spine. As Dr. Upledger described it, this accident introduced chaotic energy into the body. This energy disorganizes the body and throws it out of balance. Often, the body can dissipate the energy, which means that there are no lingering issues. But, sometimes, the body can?t. And when it can?t, it concentrates that chaotic energy into a tiny bundle. That bundle lingers, causing issues, because 36

it prevents the systems from flowing as they should, and therefore they stay out of balance.

Using CST, the practitioner will find the pathway to help the bundle of chaotic energy dissipate, which will bring the body back into balance.

However, it is the body itself that ?guides? the practitioner to the bundle (Dr. Upledger also referred to it as an energy cyst) and actually dissipates it.

walked for extended periods of time. She also was having some trouble laying down? it seemed like her hips were in pain, which made it hard to bend them when she wanted to lay down. A CST practitioner came to our house and gently touched Cleo in various areas, especially along her spine. The treatment lasted for about 30 minutes, and over the next few days, Cleo showed a marked improvement. She is now back to being able to easily lay down and stand CST can be really useful for pets that have hip, up, and she is also once again participating in the back, or leg problems, as it can help get all the regular pack walks we take. systems moving again. It can also be good for During that same session, our newest dog, Motley, pets that just seem off? perhaps they don?t also had a treatment. Motley had been skittish about move as well as they used to, or they may seem having certain parts of his back touched, and would like they aren?t as lively as they once often lick at his side and back as though he was in were? because they may have a blockage or pain. The practitioner very gently worked with him, pain somewhere from an accident or an illness and after that he was much freer in his movement that occurred long ago (sometimes years and didn?t wince or drop his back down when getting earlier). It?s important to keep in mind that the petted. body guides what happens, so practitioners must To find a certified CranioSacral Therapy practitioner, move at the body?s pace. This ensures that visit www.upledger.com. When you find a certified everything is done properly and the system can practitioner for humans, ask them if they work with better restore and maintain balance. animals too. Most of the ones I?ve talked to do, and if For example, our 17-year-old Canaan dog, Cleo, they don?t, they may be able to refer you to another was showing signs of discomfort when she practitioner that does.

By Kristin Clark

Cleo taking a nap. Photo credit: Kristin Clark

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MYEXPERIENCESWITHPARVO The following article was written by an experienced natural rearing (NR) breeder about her experiences with parvovirus (parvo). My hope is that it will show you that there are alternatives to vaccination, even when it comes to diseases that are typically regarded as very serious or even life-threatening. This article reflects Ms. Jamieson?s experiences, but these experiences are representative of what many natural rearing breeders have found. I hope that you will open your mind and your heart to her message, and? as with everything in Raw Pet Digest? let her experiences empower you to help your pet live the healthiest, most natural life possible. I also hope that you will see how she applies the eight laws of health, and her own intuition and common sense, in addressing the issue of parvo. As always, the information contained in this article is intended for educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or cure any disease.

If you are interested in learning more about natural breeding and rearing, please click here to visit the Natural Rearing Breeder?s Association website. Enjoy the article!

We have had parvo with almost every litter born here and/ or every pup that has come here to live.

Our first few parvo litters had great losses (50% ).

Once we actually bred a litter from a bitch who had survived parvo herself, we never had any losses again. I believe this is because as we have gone forward through naturally reared (NR) generations (which have gone through the disease process and survived it), our dogs have passed on real and natural ?immune system knowledge,? or ?natural immunity,? to their puppies.

At the time I write this article, I have seen parvo for the third time in litters that are NR fourth, fifth, and sixth generation. The dams of each of these litters had and survived parvo as puppies. Each of these

generations had very mild symptoms and no losses whatsoever. My fifth-generation litter required absolutely no subcutaneous or IV fluids. They only got oral colloidal silver and a little Oil of Oregano, as they were drinking water on their own and were not in danger of dehydration.

The sire of the sixth-generation litter (eight pups) was an imported dog who unfortunately had been vaccinated before arriving here (including rabies). However, their mother was out of my fifth-generation litter; she had been mildly ill for less than 18 hours when she had parvo as a pup. The father had been treated homeopathically for about 18 months for his vaccinosis issues prior to any breeding. He was very much improved and well by the time we used him to produce this litter. One more noteworthy item to the general picture of this litter: I let my dams wean their puppies on their schedule, not on my schedule. Most of my dams continue nursing their pups until at least nine or ten weeks of age (this one did to 9 ½ weeks).

The first pup in this litter showed illness symptoms starting on a Thursday at 12 weeks of age. He was not vomiting, but he did have some diarrhea and felt punky for about a day and a half. He received oral fluids and one or two enemas given several hours apart until he seemed to brighten up late Friday evening. After that, his recovery was quick. He lost very little weight, started nibbling on some dehydrated liver Friday evening and Saturday, and was back to eating food on Saturday evening. By Monday night, the next puppy showed signs of feeling under the weather, followed within hours by two more. The second puppy had only mild symptoms; I treated him with a mix of colloidal 38

silver and plain Pedialyte® , along with a few drops of Oregon grape, Astragalus, Echinacea, and Ginseng tinctures. He got this mixture a few times orally, along with a teaspoon of coconut oil with one drop of Oil of Oregano added to the coconut oil (this was basically the treatment I gave all of them). He was recovered and back to normal the next morning? in all, his recovery process took less than 14 hours. The other pups got it over the next day or two. Some were lethargic for a day or less, some for 1 ½ days, and one for two days.

Only one female required subcutaneous fluids, because she vomited and had diarrhea every time she got oral or enema fluids. She was down for about 3 ½ days. She was not deathly ill, however, and there was never a point that I feared she would die. However, she did require subcutaneous fluids twice a day for at least two of the days that she was ill. She did not get the tincture/ colloidal silver/ Pedialyte® that the rest got, because she fought the oral fluids and would immediately throw them up. I think that is partly why her recovery took an extra day and a half. At any rate, she was not horrifically ill. She had some vomiting (mostly bile) and her parvo did go beyond her small intestine into her large intestine, because she had liquid bloody stools.

Whippets running at the park. Photo credit: Gloria Anderson

The rest of the litter's stools had a ?gel? consistency, which is a better sign. The bottom line, though, is that all the puppies survived without too much effort and without any sleepless nights for me. I was never worried about them!

Since that experience, I have changed some of what I do for pups that have parvo. I found that using Australian Bush Flower Essence (ABFE) Emergency was extremely helpful. In hindsight, I could have given the above sixth generation litter a dose each of Aconite as soon as that first puppy showed signs of illness. Giving Aconite, followed by liberal use of ABFE Emergency, is very helpful at shortening the length of time the pups are ill. I also found that giving a dose or two of liquid Bentonite Clay is very helpful as well. It helps remove the virus and other toxins from the gut. The last few puppies that have had parvo here since the sixth-generation litter described above have been treated with just the initial Aconite dose, followed by the ABFE Emergency, the bentonite clay, and a 50/ 50 colloidal silver/ Pedialyte® mixture (I do add a few drops of Astragalus, Ginseng, and Oregon grape tinctures to the colloidal silver/ Pedialyte® mixture). This approach has worked really well, and the pups have had very fast recoveries.

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In the last two years, I have also found bovine colostrum extremely helpful. I start pups off when they are having their first solid foods, with raw goat milk mixed with bovine colostrum powder, given at two of their feedings every day. By the time they are three months of age, I will drop it down to a morning feed of raw goat milk with the bovine colostrum (my adults get the same thing in the mornings). I learned over time that a bigger dose seems to work better at staving off parvo symptoms. Since I have been doing this, we have had parvo only once in five groups of puppies, and their recoveries were very fast (one of the pups was very compromised with scoliosis and a severe cleft palate, and he recovered in less than 24 hours).

It was nice to see that these pups who, although they showed some symptoms and stayed on a bed much of the time, were not so sick that they gave up playing (they would lay there and mouth wrestle and smack each other with their paws). They were up and around in less than 24 hours. My latest litter may have had parvo, but I don?t know if it really was or not. They had a short bout of loose stool (which could have been anything) but were never quiet or acting ill in any other manner. They did get generous amounts of colostrum (I actually added a little goat milk to the powder to make a paste and they each got a teaspoon every morning and evening).

Homeopathy can be very helpful with parvo; however, to be able to identify possible remedies that may be useful, you must have some background knowledge of homeopathy, have a material medica and a good repertory, and good intuition about your animal(s). Don Hamilton, DVM and Christopher Day, DVM have decent books with small animal material medica and repertories that you may be able to match to your puppy's symptoms. It is worth having their books in your library. A holistic

veterinarian, Dr. Susan Meyer, told me that she has had excellent results by asking clients to give homeopathics in a very unconventional way. She asks them to dose puppies with a mixed dry dose of Aconite 30c, Arsenicum album 30c, and Phosphorus 30c all at once, dosing every hour for four doses immediately should the pups present with vomiting or diarrhea. I recently tried this with a pup immediately upon his vomiting twice (he was also feeling very punky). I don?t know if he had parvo, however, I reacted as if he did. I asked my sitter (I was on my way home at the time) to give him Aconite and ABFE emergency. Within the hour I was home and mixed the three homeopathics.

This dosing is not typical classical homeopathy, and quite unconventional, but let me tell you that within about 20 minutes after his third dose he seemed to be back to normal. I did give the fourth dose just to be sure, but he was completely better by then. I did not need to hydrate or give any herbal tinctures, colloidal silver, or bentonite clay. I was very impressed.

So as you can see, without vaccines, through multiple generations of survivor bitches in particular, you will find your puppies will handle parvo more like a mild flu, and that you will not lose your pups. I will say that the little bitch I mentioned above from my sixth-generation litter, who was more ill than the others and took a little longer to recover, was left out of my breeding program even though she was of breeding quality. It was my feeling that her response to the parvo symptoms would not be good enough for my breeding program. There were five males and two other bitches that had milder symptoms with very fast recoveries. That is what I wanted for my future generations. By removing this female from my breeding program (I placed her in a pet home), I feel that Mother Nature 40

If femalepuppiesget parvoandtheysurviveandareusedfor breeding,you will immediatelyseeanimprovement insubsequent puppyparvosymptoms andsurvival. Inaway,wecanlookat parvoassomethingof a""friend""in our effortstobreedveryhealthy,strongdogs.

Female dog nursing puppies. Š Vladilena | Dreamstime.com

-Robert a Jamieson

was helping me to ?naturally select? my breeding stock. I needed only to ask myself, ?Would this bitch have survived in the wild?? I wasn?t sure, and as such, I felt it prudent to remove her from my breeding program. I think it behooves us all to think in this way, because beauty and conformation is not health/ vitality.

We need to preserve the health and strength of our breeding choices. Yes, they should be sound and conform, but they must equally be of good health and mind. I do not think we can extricate any of these things (soundness, conformity, health/ vital force, or sound mind and temperament) from our breeding goals. They are all necessary and of equal value. I do not believe that any of them can be extricated from a breeding decision.

Keep in mind that the biggest carriers of parvo virus are other freshly vaccinated pups/ dogs, coyotes, and wolves. Yes, not only do coyotes and wolves get it, but they survive it, without vaccination, because their immune systems function naturally. I am sure that early on they had losses too, but I am equally sure that they have few or no losses now.

Indy, a German Shepherd puppy. Photo credit: Shannon Bowling

I do want to comment on the virus (or viruses and other microbes in general). In nature, it is not to the microbe?s benefit to kill the host.

New emerging viruses often do kill, but remember that if the host is killed, the virus also dies. So it is in the microbe?s best interest, via mutative selection, to not kill the host, and for the host to be able to mount a response so that the microbe does not overrun the host.

Microbes do mutate over time so that the new mutation may be less likely to kill the host.

That forms a better ?relationship? and is beneficial to both the host and the microbe. I think that by vaccinating for parvo (or anything), the vaccine itself is mutated by human tinkering/ intervention, and these non-evolutionary mutations may make the microbe deadlier, while weakening the host immune system by unbalancing the humeral and cell-mediated systems and rendering the host immune system unable to protect itself. I think this is why dogs who are vaccinated for parvo can get it, and it is also why puppies that get parvo after a vaccine has been given often die. In my experience, unvaccinated pups have good outcomes because their immune systems have not been suppressed or unbalanced by the vaccine.

Again, if female puppies get parvo and they survive and are used for breeding, you will immediately see an improvement in subsequent puppy parvo symptoms and survival. Instead of a 50% or less survival rate, you will have a 90?100% survival rate with light to moderate illness (mine had a 100% survival rate). The next generation following will more than likely be 100% survival. You will know that they have great immune function because of the weak symptoms and the speed of the recovery. In a way, we can look at parvo as something of a ?friend? in our efforts to breed very healthy, strong dogs. It is 42

no different than the mild measles or chicken pox that many of us had as children. Most children survive their childhood diseases easily and have complete lifetime immunity thereafter.

I have a couple of other things worth mentioning. The first is the metaphysical causes of disease. Sometimes I feel that we humans can literally draw something to us with our feelings, emotions, or thoughts, even if they are subconscious thoughts. One of the things I did to help myself after the 50% parvo losses I had in the early litters was to practice EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique). This was a very beneficial exercise to help me deal with my fear of parvo. I had very deep fears after losing some of my puppies, and I felt that it was possible that my emotional state was actually drawing the disease to my dogs in a deadly way. I needed to change that. EFT did that. It freed me from the fear. For more information on EFT and how to use it, click here and/ or here.

The second thing I want to point out is that every case of parvo that we had here either came from a veterinary office, from the footwear/ clothing of children coming from a school yard, or from my fields, where coyotes and wolves frequent.

Try not to take your puppies to the vet before ten weeks of age and try not to go there yourself. If you must go, take a change of shoes with you. Spray the shoes you wore into the vet office with a 30:1 water/ bleach mixture and leave them outside in the sunlight until they are dry. Change your clothes and launder them. If the puppies have to see the vet, take a clean towel with you and place it on the exam table and put the puppy down on the towel. Make certain the vet has had no parvo dogs in that week, and if they have, consider going to another vet (always call to see if they had any parvo cases in recently). Do not put your puppy on the floor at the vet?s office. Carry the pup(s) in and out and don?t let them touch their feet

down on anything other than your clean towel on the exam table. Make sure visitors to your home are wearing fresh clothes and remove shoes at the door, and make sure that they left straight from their home and came directly to your home. Hand washing before touching puppies is important. Do not rely on hand sanitizers. They do not work. Plain old soap and water is the best way to clean hands of microbes.

Having said this, I also want to mention that I personally don't go too crazy on prevention, because I know my pups will be OK if and when they get parvo. I am careful to keep their environment clean, but I do not go overboard. I don?t drive myself crazy over it, because microbes are everywhere, and I know that the ?terrain is everything,? the microbe means little. (Editor?s note: ?terrain is everything? refers to the terrain theory, which was discussed in the August/September issue of Raw Pet Digest.) I do avoid going to the vet when I have puppies at home, until they are at least nine or ten weeks of age. So if I want to make sure that I have enough Ringers Lactate (for subcutaneous fluids) or IV lines on hand ?just in case,? I will get this supply from the vet just before I do the breeding. Believe it or not, I actually want my puppies to get parvo so as to train and strengthen their immune systems.

By Roberta Jamieson Roberta has been naturally breeding and rearing dogs and livestock for almost 40 years, and began naturally breeding and rearing in 1994. She currently raises whippets under the prefix "Lepus" (Perm. Reg'd), and has also bred Borzoi and Italian Greyhounds. Currently, she also heads Whippet Rescue Ontario.

Her whippets "do it all," participating in Conformation shows, Lure Coursing trials, and Oval and Straight Track racing. She strives to breed functionally sound dogs with excellent health, temperament and beauty. She lives on a small acreage farm, and still occasionally raises meat goats, but her main focus is on her whippets (and pasture-raised poultry). You can find her and her dogs at www.lepus-sighthounds.com.

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CANINEPANCREATITIS:

NATURALSUPPORTANDPREVENTION

Motley. Photo credit: Kristin Clark

When the pancreas becomes inflamed, the disorder is called pancreatitis. It is a disease process that is seen commonly in the dog.

Contrary to what you may have been told, there really is no age, sex, or breed predisposition.

However, you will find in this article that dogs that present with pancreatitis do have a couple of things in common.

The function of the pancreas The pancreas is a vital digestive organ that lies on the right side of the abdomen and has two functions: 1. To produce enzymes which help in the digestion of food (raw fats and proteins in carnivores such as dogs) 2. To produce hormones, such as insulin Insulin is a hormone that regulates the blood sugar. The enzymes produced are necessary for digesting food. Dogs, being carnivores, have no digestive enzymes in their saliva like an omnivore or herbivore does, so for them digestion does not and cannot begin in the mouth. Over time, when our dogs are fed cooked food, processed pet food (i.e. kibble or canned food), or a diet with grains and vegetables in it, the pancreas gets overstimulated and overworked and becomes inflamed. The inflammation itself can activate the digestive enzymes before they?re released in the intestines, which can result in triggering the process of ?self-digestion? (more about self-digestion later). The enzymes from the inflamed pancreas can also leak out in the

abdominal cavity and damage the abdominal lining and other organs, which only serves to add to a serious and often life-threatening situation.

Causes of pancreatitis Pancreatitis can be caused by many things, but ultimately it is related to a compromised immune system and improper diet. It is often associated with cooked, rich, fatty meals. In some cases, it may be associated with the administration of cortisone. Factors that can contribute to the development of pancreatitis can be infections; metabolic disorders, including hyperlipidemia (high amounts of lipid in the blood) and hypercalcemia (high amounts of calcium in the blood); and/ or trauma and shock. Middle-aged dogs appear to be at an increased risk of developing pancreatitis. Dogs fed diets high in cooked fat, dogs that steal food, and dogs that are fed greasy ?people food? seem to have a higher incidence of the disease. However, in almost all cases these dogs are also fed a processed pet food diet.

Under normal conditions and digestion, digestive enzymes produced by the pancreas are activated when they reach the small intestine to aid in the digestion of a meal. In pancreatitis, these enzymes are activated prematurely in the pancreas instead of in the small intestine. This results in digestion of the pancreas itself, or ?self-digestion.? The clinical signs of pancreatitis are often variable, and the intensity of the disease will depend on the quantity of enzymes that are prematurely activated.

Pancreas in dog, and difference between healthy and inflamed pancreas. Picture credit: Jeannie Thomason

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There are two main forms of acute (sudden onset) pancreatitis: the mild, edematous form and the more severe, hemorrhagic form. In some cases, dogs that recover from an acute episode of pancreatitis may continue to have recurrent bouts if their diet and lifestyle is never addressed and altered.

many cases, especially severe cases, even water is withheld for a day or two. Intravenous fluids to maintain normal fluid and electrolyte balance may be given, especially in severe cases. In addition, the inflammation should be addressed. Natural remedies as alternatives to prescription medication are available and most effective.

The associated inflammation that occurs with an attack of pancreatitis allows digestive enzymes to spill into the abdominal cavity, which can result in secondary damage to surrounding organs, such as the liver, bile ducts, gall bladder, and intestines.

Nausea, vomiting, fever, abdominal pain, and diarrhea typically manifest with the disease. The symptoms can also be a very painful abdomen, abdominal distention, lack of appetite, depression, dehydration, a ?hunched up? posture, vomiting, diarrhea, and/ or yellow, greasy stool.

Fever often accompanies these symptoms. If the attack is severe, acute shock, depression, and death may occur. Laboratory tests usually reveal an elevated white blood cell count; however, many other things besides pancreatitis may also cause an elevated white blood cell count. The elevation of pancreatic enzymes in the blood is probably the most helpful criteria in detecting pancreatic disease, but some dogs with pancreatitis will have normal levels.

When breaking the fast, veterinarians often recommend you feed what they call a ?bland diet? of cooked rice and boiled chicken. Please note that while this may be a ?bland diet? and very easy on a human/ omnivore?s digestive system, it is by no means easy for a dog/ carnivore to digest and in reality may only make matters worse. Here?s why:

Will my dog recover?

Recovery depends on the extent of the disease when presented and a favorable response to any initial therapy. Dogs that present with shock and depression have a more guarded prognosis. Most of the mild forms of pancreatitis have a good prognosis for full recovery.

Alleviation/management The successful management and alleviation of pancreatitis depends on early detection and prompt therapy. Resting the pancreas from its role in digestion by fasting the dog is one the best therapies for the mild form of the disease. The only way to ?turn off? the pancreas so that it can rest is to withhold all food for a couple of days. In

Dogs, being carnivores, were designed to eat meat, bones, and organs in their raw state. They are not equipped with the right kind of enzymes necessary to pre-digest, let alone digest, cooked meats and/ or grains (yes, rice is a grain). The easiest foods for dogs to digest under any circumstances (sick or healthy) are raw meat, organs, and bones. The carnivore?s digestive system is designed to digest raw meat and bones very quickly, and the pancreas does not have to tax itself by producing extra enzymes in an attempt to digest something it was never intended to digest. Cooked food and grains (as well as vegetables) have to remain in the dog?s stomach and intestines for many hours in order to ferment and break down before they can be digested. This is extremely taxing to the digestive system.

Often in the case of pancreatitis, a number of cells that produce the digestive enzymes are destroyed either prior to the attack or during the attack itself.

This causes insufficient digestion of foods to follow. This is known as pancreatic insufficiency; if a dog experiences this, supplemental enzymes added to the food can help. If a significant number of cells that produce insulin are destroyed, diabetes mellitus can result and insulin therapy may be needed. In rare cases, adhesions between the abdominal organs may occur as a consequence of pancreatitis. However, most dogs recover with 46

no long-term effects, especially when changes are made to the diet and lifestyle.

to this particular food. For more information on this transition food, click here.

Naturopathic/holistic recommendations to prevent and alleviate pancreatitis

Since the pancreas is in control of insulin production, which controls blood glucose regulation, often dogs with diabetes can be more prone to pancreatitis. Also, pancreatitis can lead to diabetes. This means it is a good idea to watch the amount of sugar in the diet as well. Processed kibble and canned food are quite high in high glycemic vegetables; fruits; sweeteners with fancy, long names that are hard to pronounce; and some kind of grain or starch.

First and foremost, the diet needs to be a raw, species-appropriate prey model diet of raw meat, bones, and organs, as this is the food our carnivore pets were designed to eat and digest. Nutrition and your dog?s daily diet should be closely examined.

Hopefully you are already feeding your dog a species-appropriate diet, or at the very least are interested in learning more about feeding a natural, species-specific diet. However, if you are still feeding kibble or canned, processed foods of any kind, it?s time to realize that this type of diet is not healthy for them. Cooked foods, especially cooked fats, oils, grains, and vegetables should be avoided.

As previously mentioned, carnivores, such as dogs and cats, lack the enzymes necessary to predigest or digest grains, vegetables, and cooked meats, so when these things are fed, they put a large drain on and tax the pancreas.

As stated above, one of the main causes of pancreatitis is eating a very high (cooked) fat, rich meal that the dog is not used to eating; additionally, the pancreas and immune system may have been weakened by a constant diet of processed, cooked meals. Natural, raw fats (emphasis on raw) are normally very well tolerated and easily digested by healthy dogs. It is the cooked and/ or processed fats that tend to cause the problem. So, unless your dog has chronic pancreatitis, there is really no need to switch to a lower fat diet, just a healthier raw one.

If you are still not quite ready to go with a totally raw diet, please, at least try a dehydrated or freeze dried raw diet that does not contain any grains or vegetables, such as Ziwi Peak. There is also a grain and potato-free food that is layered with freeze-dried raw ingredients. It is still kibble, but instead of having a synthetic, heated vitamin mixture sprayed on the kibble, the freeze-dried raw ingredients are applied to the processed food instead, so there is actually some nutritional value

If you feed table scraps or cook for your dog, be sure to avoid feeding them cooked animal fat and/ or spicy foods, such as gravy, bacon, ham, sausage, margarine, or processed foods. Feed only unseasoned meats and leave out the veggies and grains. Whenever possible, feed grass-fed, pastured-raised, and organic meat, along with supplements to make up for the loss of nutrients from cooking it.

Dietary enzymes Enzymes are heat-sensitive and easily destroyed in the processing/ cooking of all commercial foods, as well as in any cooked diet that is heated above 117 degrees Fahrenheit. If you are still feeding a cooked and/ or processed diet, it is vitally important that you consider putting dietary/ digestive enzymes back into the diet in order to maintain proper wellness and help the body maintain this important resource. Enzymes are needed to properly digest foods, but they have other functions in the body as well, such as assisting with: -

Allergic reactions Joint discomfort/ orthopedic problems Vaccine reactions Itchy skin and ears Yeast infections Bladder infections Hotspots

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- Reducing healing time from injury and/ or surgery - Reducing recovery time from anesthesia Enzymes have natural anti-inflammatory properties, so you can avoid the use of risky medications. Enzymes also aid in detoxing the body from residual toxins while boosting the immune system.

Probiotics, or ?friendly bacteria?

Probiotics are microorganisms that are necessary for a healthy and balanced intestinal tract. There are two types of bacteria found in the intestinal tract: good bacteria and harmful bacteria. Good bacteria, or probiotics, ensure good health, as they are absolutely vital to help: - Produce natural antibiotics, which can fight harmful bacteria - Regulate and increase hormone levels - Manufacture B group vitamins, biotin and folic acid - Stimulate the immune system - Reduce food intolerance - Increase energy levels - Inhibit the growth of some yeast - Absorb nutrients, antioxidants, and iron from food that is eaten - Reduce inflammation - Increase digestibility of food - Enhance immune function Make sure to feed your dog a species-appropriate diet and, if necessary, supplement with probiotics, to help the digestive and immune systems stay healthy and strong.

Sunlight It may sound strange to you, but sunbathing in moderation is great for the overall health of our dogs. According to groundbreaking research, humans exposed to natural sunlight on a daily basis are almost 50% less likely to develop pancreatic cancer than those who are not exposed.

Our domestic dogs have moved into our homes and sadly, much like us, they do not get nearly enough exposure to sunlight and its healing and life-promoting benefits. If you have a fenced yard, let the dog out to play or nap in the early morning sun each day.

Exercise Most of our dogs these days are left indoors all day while we go to work. In general, they get very little to no exercise. Exercise moves the lymph and improves digestion and intestinal movements, resulting in a healthier immune system and digestive system. This is very important in preventing pancreatitis.

Exercise can also keep the dog from becoming obese (obesity is one predisposing factor to pancreatitis). (Editor's note: For more about exercise, see The Importance of Exercise in the June/July 2015 issue.)

Supplements or herbal remedies There is a great deal of evidence to suggest that the use of carefully chosen herbal ingredients can help to promote pancreatic health. Along with the correct raw diet and lifestyle choices, the herbal-based product Pancreas Booster can make a difference to the health of your dog?s pancreas.

Essential oils may also be helpful in raising the vibrational frequency of a weak pancreas as well as soothing theinflammatory response.

By Dr. Jeannie Thomason Dr. Thomason is an animal naturopath consulting on canine, feline, and avian nutrition, aromatherapy for animals, and total wellness. She is also the co-founder and Vice President of the American Council of Animal Naturopathy. In addition, she is the founder of the Natural Rearing Breeders Association and naturally rears Standard Poodles. She has written and blogged on natural pet health, co-authored the book Essential Oils in Animal Care, and is finishing her new book on breeding and raising dogs naturally. Her articles have been featured in various publications, including Animal Wellness, Natural Horse, Pet Connection, Dogs Naturally, and others.

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THENEWNORMAL(ANDWHYITISN'T) Many people today are used to seeing dogs and cats that have a myriad of health issues, including bad teeth; itchy skin; voluminous (and very smelly!) poop; behavior issues (such as hyper-activeness or laziness); impacted anal glands; obesity; a strong and unpleasant odor; runny eyes; and/ or autoimmune diseases.

Indeed, these issues and many others are so prevalent in our pets that we think of them as ?normal.? But just because they are common doesn?t mean they?re actually normal. Dogs and cats, even those of advancing age, should not have these issues. When these issues appear, it?s a sign that they are not in optimal health and their immune systems are compromised.

Generally speaking, when dogs and cats experience these issues, conventional veterinarians provide ?treatment? that suppresses symptoms without getting at the root cause. The issues, then, keep cropping up, and often they get worse over time. Or, dog and cat owners ignore the issues, thinking that they are due to an animal?s age, breed, or just plain bad luck.

Naturopaths have a different approach to addressing these issues. Far from believing that these issues are normal, they view them as signs that the immune system is out of balance and the laws of health are not being followed.

Take something as seemingly ordinary as feces; we are used to seeing large amounts of smelly poop from our pets. Often it?s also relatively soft, which of course makes it harder to clean up. Contrast this with the feces of a raw-fed animal. Their fecal matter is much smaller, both in size of individual stools and the overall quantity of stool. It has much less of an odor, is

Merlin is the epitome of health and vitality? he demonstrates what is truly "normal" but no longer very common. Photo credit: Bre Altherr

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much harder, and decomposes much more quickly. This is because species-appropriate diets have many more nutrients than processed pet food, so the animal?s body uses much more of the food. Processed pet food has a lot of filler and junk that your pet can?t use; this filler gets shed out in the feces, which leads to the vast amount of poop we see from dogs and cats fed a conventional, processed pet food diet. When your dog or cat eats the proper amount of bone, meat, organs, and glands, they get the appropriate amount of calcium and phosphorous in their diet. Their stool tends to be much harder (because of the calcium), which means that they have to strain a little bit to push it out. This keeps their anal glands clean, clear, and in good working order.

So many dogs regularly have to get their anal glands cleaned out by the vet or a groomer? in fact, this is so common that most groomers include this as a standard part of their grooming! However, when animals are fed a species-appropriate diet, they typically don?t have anal gland issues. Anal gland issues are a perfect example of something that is common but not actually normal.

indicator that the body is not functioning in optimal health.

Another common (but definitely not normal) issue that many dog owners report about their pets is a ?doggy? smell. When you think about it, it doesn?t make sense that a carnivore and predator would have a distinct and strong odor. This odor would make it much more difficult to sneak up on their highly sensitive prey. Wolves and other wild canines do not have a ?doggy? odor, and dogs fed a species-appropriate diet do not have a strong odor either. Dogs that are fed a diet of processed pet food tend to smell, which most owners address by giving them baths, but once those same dogs are switched to a species-appropriate diet, the odor disappears.

Again, while a strong odor has become very common, it is not normal. In fact, it?s an

I talked about skin allergies in the June/ July issue of Raw Pet Digest; as I mentioned in the article, allergies and skin issues are some of the most common reasons that people take their pets to the vet. However, as I discussed in the article, skin allergy symptoms are the result of a hyper-reactive and out-of-balance immune system. These issues are common, but not normal; animals with a healthy and balanced immune system do not experience chronic skin allergies. Following the eight laws of health assists with addressing the root cause of the allergy symptoms.

Many pet owners notice that their pet?s teeth have a great deal of tartar and plaque. Some people brush their pet?s teeth, some people get their pet's teeth professionally cleaned (which also generally means that the animal has to be put under, which can be dangerous), some buy them dental chews, and some just ignore the issue until it gets so bad that the dog or cat need serious dental attention. While poor oral health is not always because of a poor diet, oftentimes it is. Processed pet food tends to contribute to plaque and tartar because it gets stuck on the teeth or in the gum line. A species-appropriate diet, however, which includes bones, actually scrapes the teeth clean as the animal crunches the bones. Many dogs and cats that are fed a species-appropriate diet have sparkling white teeth, healthy gums, good breath, and healthy jaws. Unfortunately, poor oral health is another example of what we now consider normal because it is so common, but the good news is that typically it can be easily addressed by going back to the laws of health, especially the first one: proper nutrition.

As a society, we are very used to seeing cats and dogs that are obese. In fact, many people think that animals that are overweight are actually a 50

healthy weight. Much of this is due to the food they eat and the lack of adequate exercise (for more about exercise, see The Importance of Exercise in the June/ July issue of Raw Pet Digest). Processed pet food is akin to poor-quality fast food. Feeding this does not give our pets the nutrients they need to thrive.

Generally speaking, even though our pets are too heavy, their bodies are starving for proper nutrition. Couple the ?fast food? we generally feed our pets with the fact that most pets don?t get an adequate amount of exercise, and it begins to be clear why so many animals are obese. We, in turn, have gotten so used to seeing overweight animals that we believe that those animals are a healthy weight. We have been conditioned to believe that obesity is normal.

We also tend to think it?s normal for our dogs, particularly larger dogs, to die at relatively young ages. I have heard many people say that their dogs are ?seniors? when they are only eight or nine. When their dogs, particularly their larger dogs, die at 11 or 12, they attribute it to advanced age. However, healthy dogs, even large dogs, should live much longer

than this. When animals are allowed to develop natural immunity (rather than being vaccinated), and when the eight laws of health are followed, they live much longer and healthier lives. They have much healthier joints, bones, and muscles; their immune systems are balanced and strong; and their energy and vitality is much stronger.

Dying young is not normal, but it is common enough that people now believe that it is.

As you can see, many of the issues that our cats and dogs are faced with today are not actually normal, even though they are very common.

Following the eight laws of health can go a long way towards addressing these issues, because by following the laws, you are helping to support your pet?s immune system and make sure all of its systems are kept in balance.

Keeping the immune system strong and healthy helps ensure that any issues that crop up can be handled by addressing the root cause, rather than just by suppressing the symptoms. This will allow your pet to be truly ?normal?? and by normal, I mean that they will live and thrive in optimal health.

Midge, a Redbone Coonhound, and Merlin demonstrating "normal." Notice their shiny, healthy coats, clear eyes, good muscle tone, and appropriate weights. Photo credit: Bre Altherr

By Kristin Clark

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THEINFINITECAPACITYOFOUR HEARTS

Motley, a Portuguese Podengo/ terrier mix. Photo credit: Kristin Clark

I wasn?t looking for another dog. We already had three amazing dogs and a wonderful cat. My life, especially in terms of my animals, was rich indeed.

The last thing on my mind was adding another one.

But sometimes, fate intervenes and brings us what we need, whether or not we are conscious of actually wanting it. And so it was on April 10 of this year, when I first met Motley.

He wasn?t called Motley then, of course. He was Donald, a scruffy little tan and white dog stuffed into one of the crates at Riverside Animal Control?s adoption booth. I was with my mom at the OC Pet Expo, about 60 miles from my house, and we were trying to find the booth where the Southern California Aussie Rescue was located. We were there to volunteer? educate people about Aussies, promote the breed, and give them information about how to adopt one if they were interested in doing so. To get to that booth, we had to walk through the huge tents filled with dogs that had been picked up by animal control or surrendered by their owners and were now waiting in shelters all across the region in the hopes of finding homes.

The din was incredible? hundreds of dogs were barking madly, or whining and crying, and it was impossible to hear what my mom was saying to me. I was walking quickly, but suddenly I sensed something looking at me. I turned my head, and there he was. He was one of the few dogs that wasn?t making any noise. His eyes were at once

Motley. Photo credit: Kristin Clark

scared, sad, and wise. Drawn by some implacable force, I went over to his crate. His little tail thumped once, twice, and then was still. He seemed hesitant, but he didn?t growl or bark. He just sat, watching me, allowing me to put my finger through the bars of his crate, but not moving closer to my hand.

As much as I love dogs, and as much as I have fostered and assisted with rescues, it is rare that I meet a dog that I fall in love with instantly? at least, the kind of love that makes me want to adopt the dog and give it a forever home. I love them all in their own way, but for most of them, my home is a stopping point on their journey, not their forever home. This mindset is what allows me to foster, because otherwise I would end up adopting all of them and wouldn?t be able to open my home to others? I?d quickly run out of room!

But this little guy was different. I was immediately drawn to him, and I wanted nothing more than to help lift the fear and sadness from his eyes.

However, the decision wasn?t mine alone. My boyfriend Adam and I live together, and I couldn?t adopt a dog without talking to him. So, I decided that if the little dog got adopted that day, then it wasn?t meant to be. If he didn?t, and if Adam was agreeable, we?d come back and get him later that weekend.

That evening, when Adam got home, I asked him if he would be open to a dog. Initially, he wasn?t too keen on the idea, but we talked it over again the next day, and after calling the shelter that evening, found out that Motley was still available and would be back at the OC Pet Expo on Sunday.

We resolved to go down there and adopt him. And just like that, Motley?s first lessons were upon me.

I have a tendency, especially when I really want something, to become so focused on that thing that I have a hard time going with the flow. The experience of getting Motley? because it couldn?t, of necessity, happen instantaneously, and because the outcome wasn?t guaranteed? gave me an amazing opportunity to practice being OK with whatever happened. It gave me the chance to 53

practice trusting that whatever happened would be for the best, which in turn helped me practice looking at the situation as an opportunity for growth rather than stress.

The journey to getting Motley also helped me continue to develop my communication skills. So often I have a hard time really communicating what I want, and why, and will shut down and withdraw when I feel as though I?m not able to make my point.

It?s also sometimes hard for me to compromise, which can lead to feelings of resentment or even helplessness. In navigating the topic of getting Motley with Adam, I had to trust our communication and trust how that communication would go. I also had to be empathetic to his point of view while expressing my viewpoint. Adam was wonderful throughout the process, and I emerged with a deeper understanding of how to communicate in a healthy and productive way. Two major lessons, and we hadn?t even adopted Motley yet? What an incredible little dog!

When we got to the OC Pet Expo, Motley was right there waiting for us. I signed the paperwork, Adam and I wandered around the Expo for a bit, and then it was time to take him home. He was so terrified to walk across the Expo grounds that his legs were shaking, his tail was tucked, and his whole body was completely shrunk in on itself. Nevertheless, step by slow step, we made our way to the car. He elected to huddle in the backseat, as far from us as he could get, but he rode quietly and with no accidents for the entire 90-minute car ride home.

especially good at guiding him; it was Elle that first showed him how to play, and it was Elle that he first snuggled against. He seemed to trust me, but he was also nervous about Adam handling him, lashing out in frightened aggression when Adam petted him. Adam, though, also understood that it was insecurity on Motley?s part that made him act that way, and slowly but surely worked with him to overcome his fears. It was beautiful to witness, and I came to see, over and over again, how much can be accomplished when you have a strong support system. This support system was there for me and for Motley, and it impacted both of us. So often, I feel like I need to do everything myself.

I guess it?s a way of proving that I?m competent and independent, but sometimes it gets in the way of asking for help. But the pack and Adam were able to help me with Motley and were able to help him in ways I couldn?t, because they brought up issues in him that I never would have been able to. There was no way I could really help him work through his fear of men, because I?m not a man. But Adam could, and did. And I couldn?t teach him how to be in a pack? but Elle, Cleo, and Barkley could. So, both Motley and I learned, and grew, and eventually Motley was able to play with the other dogs, and sniff them and be sniffed, without resorting to reactivity and aggression. And eventually he came to wholeheartedly accept and love Adam too.

When we first introduced him to the other dogs, it was clear that he didn?t have much experience as part of a pack. All of them were patient, but it was obvious he was quite scared and wanted them to keep their distance. Whenever any of them got anywhere close, he would growl and tense, ready for a fight. They ignored that, though, sensing that it was insecurity that caused him to act like that, and eventually, he began to relax around them.

This is not, of course, to say that there weren?t a few skirmishes, but overall he settled in incredibly well because of the power of the pack. Elle was

Motley and Barkley. Photo credit: Kristin Clark

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Motleycapturedmyheart,andinso doing,hetaught meoneof thegreatest lessonsof all: that our heartshavean infinitecapacitytolove.

A selfie with Motley after getting back from a run. Photo credit: Kristin Clark

He was in rough shape, physically, when we first got him from the shelter. He had been there for about six weeks, and in that short time he had been neutered and gotten multiple vaccinations. His coat was coarse and dry, his nose was cracked, he frequently yelped in pain when his ears were touched, and he often limped. We immediately set about transitioning him to a species-appropriate diet. The first few days he didn?t know what to make of it, and in fact, skipped some meals. But by the third day, he seemed to figure it out, and he made short work of the chicken he was offered. He has since proved himself to be a hearty eater, and I haven?t yet found anything that he?ll turn down.

He?s happily eaten chicken, duck, goose, turkey, rabbit, lamb, goat, elk, bison, beef, pork (in fact, he?s the only one of our dogs that likes pork!), sardines, Cornish hen, guinea fowl, and quail, to name a few.

Eventually, as his system began to recover from the assault it had undergone, his nose began to soften and get cold and wet again. He started to be able to go for walks and runs without limping, and his coat became shiny and his hair softer. As his system detoxed, his zest for life came out more and more.

He has turned out to be a high-energy dog, excitedly

and busily racing from here to there whenever we go on off-leash walks, and happily running around and playing with Elle and sometimes even Barkley when we are at home.

While we?ve only had little Motley for about five months, he has come an incredibly long way. He has started to grow into the potential that I saw when I first laid eyes on him. There was a sadness in his eye that is lifting and only manifests rarely now. He is a happy go-lucky guy for the most part, and he throws his entire being into whatever he?s doing, whether it?s eating, walking, cuddling, or playing. The most rewarding thing is seeing him start to relax and come into his own. He has captured my heart, and in so doing, he taught me one of the greatest lessons of all: that our hearts have an infinite capacity to love, and just when you think your life is full and your cup overflowing, you may find your heart softening with even more love than before. For that is what happened to me? I learned that there is always a way to love even more than I thought possible. And that is a phenomenal gift indeed.

By Kristin Clark

Motley waking up from a nap. He has some serious bed-head going on! Photo credit: Kristin Clark

Motley resting in one of his favorite spots in the office.

Photo credit: Kristin Clark 56

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Merlin, an American Pit Bull Terrier, showing off his athleticism. Photo credit: Bre Altherr

RAW PET DIGEST October/ November 2015