Raw Pet Digest December 2015/January 2016 by rawpetdigest

RAWPETDIGEST December 2015/ January2016

IN THIS ISSUE: -Tr an si t i o n i n g y o u r cat t o a r aw d i et : p ar t 2 -A n t i b i o t i cs -Th e i m p o r t an ce o f en zy m es -Ir i d o l o g y -A n d m u ch m o r e! Schat zie and King. Phot o credit : Kim Bl oomer

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.

Midge eating a deer carcass. Photo credit: Bre Altherr

FEATURESAND COLUMNS Letter from the Editor - 4 The Drugging of Our Pets - 5 Transitioning Your Cat to a Species-Appropriate Diet: Part 2 - 8 Antibiotics and Our Pets - 13 An Introduction to Iridology - 18 Enzymes: The Unsung Heroes - 21

Knox and Clarice, English Mastiffs, playing with a sprinkler. Photo credit: Jennifer Lee

Flea and Tick Prevention: Part 1 - 26 Spotlight on Health: Dr. Erin O'Connor - 29 Everything in Moderation - 35 Vaccines: One is Too Many - 39 Five Roads Well Travelled with Noel Socks - 44

Gryphon wrestling with Dexter. Photo credit: Kristin Clark

Letter fromtheEditor As the holiday season rolls around, I find myself in a festive mood. I love the holidays? the cooler temperatures, beautiful decorations, visits with family and friends, and cheerful fires crackling in the fireplace all work together to lift my soul and bring joy to my heart. Throughout the year, but especially at the holiday season, I find myself thinking of all the things for which I am grateful. There are so many? my life is so rich? and this year, I want to add that I am grateful to all of you. Your support of this magazine, and your desire to learn everything you can about how to keep your dogs and cats healthy naturally, means so much to me. Since launching in April, we have gained subscribers all over the world, and lots of you have written to tell me about an article that helped you, or gave you some new insight, or even to tell me that you are learning new things despite having fed your dogs and cats a species-appropriate diet for years. I have learned from your notes to me, and I am so glad that you have learned from the articles in this magazine too. As you think about your blessings this holiday season, I hope you?ll take some time to think about how fortunate your pets are that you are on the road to helping them live more balanced and healthier lives. By supporting them so they can thrive, you are giving them the greatest gift of all. If you?ve made some mistakes in the past, learn from them and then let go of them. To

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

paraphrase the great Maya Angelou, once we know better we can do better. It?s what you do now that?s important, and small changes can have a big impact. If you haven?t quite made the jump to a species-appropriate diet for your pet, commit to making the switch and then do it. If you?ve been feeding a raw diet for years, take a look at your household cleaners and detergents and make the switch to better, less toxic ones. If you are still using flea and tick medications, or giving heartworm prevention chews to your pets, make the choice to stop using these and instead use more natural methods (we will have an article about natural flea and tick control in the next issue). We at Raw Pet Digest are with you every step of the way, and we will continue to support you in keeping your pets healthy in mind, body, and spirit in the months to come. Until next time, enjoy the issue, and happy holidays.

-Kristin

THEDRUGGINGOFOURPETS There are an enormous amount of ads for pharmaceutical drugs in every form of media these days for humans. But more recently, those ads and their suppliers are also popping up everywhere for our pets. In fact, pet owners are more than likely mimicking what is happening in human medicine by asking their veterinarians about possible drugs to help this, that, or the other before the veterinarians even know about the available drugs, due to heavy advertising of these drugs. The public at large is therefore being brainwashed into believing that the cure for anything wrong? behaviorally, physically, mentally, emotionally, etc.? can be cured or prevented by a magic bullet in some form of pharmaceutical drug. Interestingly enough, the same ?dis-eases? that seem to be plaguing the human race in increasing numbers seem to also be plaguing our pets. I wonder as I write this if the correlation has anything to do with the rise of drug use in pet and human health? Let ?s t ake a l ook a cl oser l ook at t hat . Stuart Close, author of The Genius of Homeopathy, would say absolutely yes if he were alive today. This book is an in-depth look into the philosophy of homeopathy according to its founder, Dr. Samuel Hahnemann; disease; the whole premise behind what creates dis-ease or disharmony within the body; and how applied homeopathy works to resolve those dis-harmonies. He states in the book that many of the so-called diseases today

are a product of drugs. When you understand that homeopathy works upon the principle of like curing like? a bit of the hair of the dog that bit you cures you? then it stands to reason that when we try and treat imbalances in the body with abnormal, synthetic ingredients in the form of drugs that follow the law of opposites, we only create more dis-ease, or imbalance, within the body. In other words, the more drugs that are used, the more dis-ease that is created within the body. The majority of the modern diseases are drug-induced disease. Modern medicine, however, doesn?t view things in terms of laws of cure or any other law; rather, it denies the existence of these laws. The focus is instead on killing the germ, even if it ultimately kills the patient. The goal is to always suppress or deny the symptoms their outlet, believing the suppression of the symptom IS the cure. That translates into more and more drugs being needed for the many symptoms that begin to show up as the body fights to bring itself back into balance against all odds, until it finally surrenders to the various ?cures? and dies. But hardly anyone is recognizing this for what it is, least of all the majority of pet owners. That?s because we think of symptoms as the dis-ease instead of the body?s alarm system warning of a root cause, which is what should be addressed. But why? Most people have no idea what health really is any longer. They do not understand the laws of health for themselves and certainly not for 5

their pets, because they have surrendered all responsibility for their health and that of their pets to the medical industry. So what is heal t h? Dictionary.com gives these definitions, which go well with a holistic viewpoint: 1. the general condition of the body or mind with reference to soundness and vigor: good health; poor health. 2. soundness of body or mind; freedom from disease or ailment: to have one?s health; to lose one?s health.

maintain internal stability, owing to the coordinated response of its parts to any situation or stimulus tending to disturb its normal condition or function. By constantly giving more and more drugs to our pets, we keep the body permanently out of balance, forcing the body to work all the harder to try and maintain its internal stability. This eventually does wear out the entire innate immune system, leaving the body completely vulnerable.

3. vigor; vitality

So the drugs we are all seeking out to help our pets be well are instead actually the catalysts to further illness.

I?d add that the body is always seeking to remain in balance (homeostasis). The definition of homeostasis is: the tendency of a system, esp. the physiological system of higher animals, to

Drugs (which also include any of the flea, tick, and heartworm medications, as well as vaccines) are all abnormal substances, synthetic in many cases, which the body

Schatzie, a Carolina Dog. Photo credit: Kim Bloomer

recognizes only as toxins that need to be removed. Plus, these substances upset the normal and proper alkaline/ acid balance in the body; higher acid levels contribute to increased imbalance. As the definition of the word homeostasis points out, the body works to maintain internal stability, and yet we constantly keep it imbalanced with all these drugs, vaccines, and pesticides. It?s no wonder our pets are not thriving and that the incidence of dis-ease has so greatly increased. So what can a pet owner do?

Secondly, whenever a drug, vaccine, or parasite control product is recommended for your pet by a veterinarian, ask for the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) and/ or an informed consent sheet so you will have all the facts before deciding to subject your pet to something that may hinder good health rather than promote it. Lastly, after you?ve taken the initiative to learn about what health really is and have weighed all the odds, you can make an informed decision based on those facts for your pet. You may decide the risk of the drug is worth it in helping your pet, or you may decide that a slower, more sure natural way is the route you?d rather go.

First and foremost, become informed about how to keep your pet healthy naturally by following the laws of health, which include No matter what you decide, make sure you are species-appropriate nutrition, fresh air, informed first. sunshine sans sunscreen (daily if possible), -By Dr. Kim Bloomer pure water that is free of chlorine and fluoride, Dr. Kim Bloomer is a certified animal naturopath consulting on exercise daily, proper good rest, and canine and feline nutrition and wellness. In addition, Dr. Kim is a temperance. And if that seems too daunting, proficient blogger, writer, speaker, and presenter on natural pet care, then work with an animal naturopath to help as well as the Co-Founder of the American Council of Animal Naturopathy. She is the author/ co-author of three books, including guide you so that you can make informed Animals Taught Me That and Essential Oils in Animal Care: A Naturopathic Approach (co-authored with two of her colleagues). Dr. decisions for your pets. Kim?s articles have been featured in various publications in both print and online. Visit her website at www.AspenbloomPetCare.com.

Knox, an English Mastiff, with llamas behind him. Photo credit: Jennifer Lee

Motley, a Portuguese Podengo Pequeno mix, taking a break during a hike. Photo credit: Kristin Clark

TRANSITIONINGYOURCATTOA SPECIES-APPROPRIATEDIET: PART2

Beautiful black cat. Photo credit: Tracy Dion

Want t o swit ch your cat t o a raw diet ? Here?s how! This is Part 2 of a three-part series. Part 1 (found in the August/September 2015 issue of Raw Pet Digest) covered the basics of transitioning, and Part 3 will discuss switching to prey model and whole prey diets. This section will cover the details of transitioning to a commercial or homemade ground diet. (For information on creating these raw diets, see the website www.CatCentric.org!) As I mentioned in Part 1, it?s often difficult to answer generic raw feeding transition questions due to the variables unique to each cat owner?s situation. And it?s pretty much impossible to create a precise ?1-2-3 Steps to Transition? that will work for every cat. What I can do, however, is create a guideline loaded with tips that can be adapted to your particular circumstances.

Take a chance First thing? Go ahead and offer your cat a plate of ground raw. If she takes it, then you?re good to go and can begin feeding raw right away. Many cats need a gradual transition, but some take to raw like they?ve been waiting all their lives for it. Give your kitty the chance to dive right in! This is especially true for younger cats. Young cats and kittens haven?t yet had their ?tastes? distorted by canned or kibble product textures and (overly pungent) odors and often take to raw foods quite readily. Note: If at all possible, kittens should be weaned directly to prey model or whole prey meals so they don?t have to relearn how to eat later when you?re ready to upgrade from ground raw. If your cat doesn?t accept the raw right away, then you can move into your transitioning plan.

Cat eating a plate of ground raw food. Photo credit: Tracy Dion

Ease your way int o it At this point, you should have already accustomed your cat to eating three to four scheduled meals a day and you should, of course, be feeding her on a flat plate (to respect those delicate whiskers). This is critical? if you do not close the 24/7 kibble buffet before you start transitioning your kitty to raw, you will be undermining all of your efforts to get her on a healthy diet and setting you and your kitty up to fail. To begin the transition, roll the ground raw into a pea-sized ball and put it on the side of the plate next to your cat?s regular food, then put her plate down. Leave the plate down for 30 minutes to give her a chance to try the raw out of curiosity, then take it up and throw it away. Even if she ignores the raw completely, having it there will acquaint her with the sight and smell of it, and over time, she will begin to associate it with food. Buy or make several different batches of the raw and rotate through them just as you do (or should be doing) with her regular meals. You can also just mix the ground raw right into your cat?s regular canned or kibble food, but you?ll need to be watchful with this method. Some cats will eat around the raw if they can, and some will refuse to eat the mixed food altogether. Skipping one or two meals a week shouldn?t cause any issues, but missing too many meals? especially if your cat is overweight? can cause hepatic lipidosis, a life-threatening disease. So you can?t use hunger to force your cat to eat something new, and you shouldn?t let her skip multiple meals or go more than a day without eating. If she won?t eat the mixed food over one or two meals, either give her what she will eat and offer the raw on the side, or offer both the regular food and some mixed food at every meal.

A smiling kitty cat. Photo credit: Tracy Dion

Transitioning your cat should be a relaxed affair for both of you, not a trial. Note: It?s a good idea to weigh your cat weekly during the transition to be sure she isn?t losing too much weight, or losing weight too quickly. Any loss exceeding 1-2% of her body weight per week is too much! After a few days to a week, most cats will be eating the little balls of raw, whether separately or mixed in. If your cat is not, however, don?t despair. Just accept that you?ll be throwing some food away and keep patiently offering it to her. The longest I?ve personally seen a cat ignore that dollop of raw food was 29 days, but I?ve read accounts of longer periods. The key here is patience...however long it takes for her to try that first bite is however long it takes. Once she?s eating that one pea-sized ball of raw regularly for a few days, add another pea-sized ball. A few days after she?s eating both of those at most meals, add a third. Start reducing the regular food while you continue to slowly increase the amount of raw until you are feeding all raw. Remember not to pressure the cat. Switch at her pace, and if she starts 10

balking at the amount of new food, just back up a step or two. A little back and forth is to be expected, so don?t let it get you down. Even cats that readily gulp down raw the first time it?s offered will sometimes refuse it later. This is part of the transition process! Just take a step back in the transition, hold steady for a few meals, and then continue on with the transition.

Many cats don?t care for cold food, so take the chill off by mixing in a teaspoon of warm water or putting it in a plastic bag and floating it in a bowl of warm water for 10 minutes or so. Think mouse body temperature! (Don?t microwave her raw food? you?ll destroy some of the nutrients that make fresh foods so healthy in the first place.)

A relaxed and patient approach is critical to a successful transition, but there are many ways to help support and speed up the process.

Using the tips of your fingers and your nails, stroke your cat around her neck and shoulders and down her back while she?s in front of the food bowl. Some cats will be stimulated to eat when petted like this. Bribe your kitty into eating by sprinkling enticements over the new food. Some proven options to try: catnip, grated Parmesan Cheese, Forti Flora flakes, fish food flakes, bonito flakes, or crumbled up freeze-dried or dehydrated meat treats (Whole Life?s freeze-dried chicken treats are irresistible to most cats). Note: Forti Flora contains animal digest and other ingredients that may upset an IBD kitty?s tummy.

Tips and t ricks t o support t he t ransit ion Here?s a list of things you can do to encourage your kitty to accept her new and improved menu: Draw out your cat?s hunting instinct by engaging her in interactive play sessions with fishing pole-type toys (like ?Da Bird?) for a few minutes, ending the play by allowing her to ?catch the prey? and then replacing the toy with her food. This will stimulate her appetite and prime her for eating. (As an added benefit, interactive play improves the bond between the two of you and reduces feline stress levels.)

Young cats sitting on a table. ÂŠ Schwarzrex1 | Dreamstime.com

You can also drip a bit of water-packed canned tuna juice or sprinkle crushed-up Temptation treats over it, but be careful to

drip/ sprinkle as minimally as possible and wean the kitty off as soon as possible? both are unhealthy in anything but small amounts and are quite addictive.

accustomed to eating in a crate and will not be able to drag the meat chunks all over your house.)

Of course, if you?re transitioning from kibble or canned and you?re not mixing it in with the raw, you can drip the canned food juice or sprinkle the crushed kibble over it. Note: During this transition, keep kibble products as closed up as possible, preferably in the refrigerator or even outside the house if you can. Cats have an incredible sense of smell and if she can smell it, she may be tempted to hold out for it. As soon as you can, get rid of it completely.

I know I?ve said it before, but your most important resource for transitioning your cat is going to be your patience. All cats can be switched to a healthier diet, given enough time. Don?t let setbacks discourage you. Expect them, roll with them, and then slowly get back on your transition plan. You?re not in a race? this is a lifestyle change for both of you and your goal is to make it happen, not to make it happen in a specific timeframe.

Feed your kitty some of the raw off your fingertip. Some cats will take from our hands what they won?t initially try on their own. If it doesn?t upset your cat, squish a bit of the raw onto her paw and let her lick it off. Offer your cat a piece of cooked chicken, beef, pork, etc., or some garlic-free baby meat. If she likes it, add it to the ground raw or the kibble/ canned/ ground mix. Crate your cat for meals! Skittish cats and cats in multi-cat homes will often feel more secure and relaxed in a crate, making them more willing to try new foods. (You have an added benefit here in that when you switch to the whole meat meals of prey model, your cat will already be

Concl usion: Have pat ience!

If you need help maintaining a positive outlook, join one of the friendlier raw feeding groups for support. CatCentric has a Facebook group with amazingly supportive members who specialize in helping cat owners make this transition. A few cats will accept raw immediately while others may take several weeks for a full transition. Most cats, however, will fall somewhere in between. Proper nutrition is critical to all aspects of feline health, so no matter how long it takes for your cat, it is well worth the effort involved.

-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.

Family of cats. ÂŠ Sarkao | Dreamstime.com

ANTIBIOTICSAND OURPETS

Vaccines, antibiotics, and drugs. Photo credit: R?dvan Arda | Dreamstime.com

?We have let our profligate use of antibiotics reshape the evolution of the microbial world and wrest any hope of safe management from us? Resistance to antibiotics has spread to so many different, and such unanticipated bacteria, that the only fair appraisal is that we have succeeded in upsetting the balance of nature.? ? Marc LappĂŠ, When Antibiotics Fail In his book Herbal Antibiotics, Stephen Buhner shares some incredible, and rather sobering, statistics (italics are Buhner?s): ?In 1942, the world?s entire supply of penicillin was a mere 32 liters (its weight? About 64 pounds). By 1949, 156,000 pounds a year of penicillin and a new antibiotic, streptomycin (isolated from common soil fungi), were being produced. By 1999? in the United States alone? this figure had grown to an incredible 40 million pounds a year of scores of antibiotics for people, livestock, research, and agricultural plants. Ten years later some 60 million pounds per year of antibiotics were being used in the United States and scores of millions of pounds more by other countries around the world. Nearly 30 million pounds were being used in the United States solely on animals raised for human consumption. And those figures? That is per year. Year in, year out.?

Not surprisingly, many bacteria have become what we now call ?superbugs.? They are resistant to antibiotics, although doctors and veterinarians continue to prescribe antibiotics in staggering amounts. But is there another way to naturally achieve what antibiotics are supposed to do? Is there a better way to protect against the ?bad? bacteria and support the immune system in maintaining balance and therefore health? Let me cut to the chase right now and say that yes, there absolutely is, and it is simpler than you might think. Just as with so many things, we have been taught that antibiotics are vital to prevent infection and keep the body healthy. Livestock are often given antibiotics as a matter of course? a preventive, if you will? and it has become routine to prescribe antibiotics whenever your pet has injured itself, no matter how minor that injury is. But, in order to start to really empower ourselves in taking personal responsibility and accountability for the health of our pets, it is important to educate ourselves about antibiotics? how they work, what they do, and what their intended use really is. Then, we can begin to examine more natural alternatives to antibiotics.

High magnification view of virus cells and bacteria. Photo credit: Ig0rzh | Dreamstime.com

Before we really dive into antibiotics and how they work, I want to share a story with you. I recently heard about a woman whose dog fractured her tooth. When the woman took her dog to the vet, she was very clear that she did not want the dog given any antibiotics or traditional pain killers. Instead, they used cold laser therapy and other supplemental modalities to support the dog through the healing process. The result was that the dog?s immune system was able to handle, much more effectively than it might otherwise, the healing process. I share this story with you for several reasons. First, and perhaps most important, I want to share with you that, just like this woman, you are responsible for your pet?s health. If you decide that you do not want to use antibiotics, your vet should respect that. If they don?t, find another vet. I also share it so that you can see that there are natural alternatives to antibiotics, and not using conventional antibiotics does not necessarily lead to infection or worse, as we so often believe. And third, I share it as a way to empower you to realize that others are making the choice, every day, to support their pets naturally, and those pets are thriving. So how do antibiotics work? In a nutshell, antibiotics are designed to kill bacteria. Here?s the kicker though? they are generally ?broad spectrum,? which means they kill everything indiscriminately, and that means that the ?good? bacteria is wiped out along with the ?bad.? And, once the antibiotic use is stopped, the ?bad? bacteria grow back faster than the ?good,? which leads to a serious imbalance. This is why so many people recommend supplementing probiotics if you do choose to use

antibiotics? it helps the ?good? bacteria get a foothold. But, wouldn?t it be better not to wipe the beneficial stuff out in the first place? Antibiotics invariably wreak havoc on the immune system. They suppress it because they decrease the number of circulating white blood cells. When this happens? when the immune system is suppressed? the animal actually has a harder time fighting off infection. This is because the terrain is no longer healthy, and so it can?t mount an appropriate defense, or even keep everything is in balance. As we have discussed in previous issues, if the terrain is unhealthy and the immune system is out of balance, illness and disease symptoms begin to occur. The ?good? bacteria in the gut help support the body in a variety of ways. Among other things, they protect the animal from yeast infections (by controlling the numbers of the fungus Candida albicans and keeping them in balance), assist in lowering high cholesterol, improve digestion, and some of them even manufacture B vitamins and natural antibiotics. The ?bad? bugs, such as Candida albicans, are also present in a healthy gut, but they are kept in check by the ?good? bacteria. Note that I have been putting ?bad? and ?good? in quotes because, really, there is no ?bad? or ?good? as long as everything is kept in balance. However, as I mentioned, using antibiotics results in a prevalence of ?bad? bacteria, which leads to imbalance and sickness. For example, Candida albicans occurs naturally on the body?s mucous membranes (such as the digestive tract, mouth, and sinuses). It poses no threat as long as it?s in balance. But, when antibiotics are used, they kill everything, and the Candida albicans recovers more quickly, which gives it a chance to flourish. Feeding an inappropriate diet and/ or giving drugs and other chemical medications (such as vaccines and flea/ tick/ heartworm preventatives) adds to that imbalance. And, this imbalance can show up 15

in a myriad of ways, including (but certainly not limited to): -

Gooey, waxy buildup in the ears Excessive shaking of the head A host of skin issues, such as rashes, hot spots, anal itching, and excessive scratching Bladder and urinary tract infections Excessive licking/ chewing Lethargy Anxiety Diarrhea or vomiting Hyperactivity Arthritis Overly hungry and overweight Bowel disorders Thyroid imbalance Dull, dry, or greasy coat

Antibiotic use doesn?t stop there. Because it knocks out all of the ?good? bacteria, it also inhibits the availability of many crucial nutrients, including some of the B vitamins, folic acid, zinc, magnesium, and so on. And, if the antibiotics cause diarrhea (which they frequently do), the body has to struggle even more to regain balance and rebuild a healthy internal terrain. As you know, the best thing you can do for your pet is support them on their journey to achieving and maintaining health naturally by helping make their immune systems as strong and balanced as they can be. Nutrition, of course, is the foundation for this? feeding a species-appropriate diet goes a long way towards building up the immune system and making sure your pet?s ?terrain? (internal environment) is strong and balanced, ready to tackle any challenges that come along. Once you have the diet right, you must also make sure that you?re following the other

laws of health: ensuring adequate and proper exercise; making sure your pet has access to clean, pure water; giving them a chance to get sunshine every day; providing proper supplementation (when necessary); doing everything in moderation; making sure they get fresh air daily; allowing for proper rest; and trusting in the process. You should also make sure that you are not loading their bodies down with chemical toxins, either from things that you apply directly to them (heartworm meds, flea/ tick preventatives, and/ or vaccines), or from using toxic products in and around your house. Following these guidelines will help ensure your pet?s immune system is strong, balanced, and as healthy as it can be. If you have given antibiotics, or if your pet is showing signs of an imbalance (that is, showing any of the symptoms I listed above), you might want to consider supporting their immune health for a bit with probiotics. Probiotics are a class of beneficial bacteria that promote and support health, balance, and efficient functioning of the digestive system. Probiotics inhabit a healthy gut and help the body in various ways, including allowing it to absorb and use the nutrients from foods. They also prevent or limit the proliferation of ?bad? bacteria, such as salmonella, E. coli, and Candida albicans. They contribute to a healthy terrain, or internal environment, through a process known as ?competitive exclusion.? Through this process, the probiotics, or ?good? bacteria, take up positions (enteric sites) and thereby prevent the ?bad? bacteria from establishing themselves. This in turn ensures that they will not be able to proliferate, which means that everything stays in balance. If you are feeding a species-appropriate raw food diet, your pet is already getting probiotics. They are found in the liver, spleen, and other organs. 16

Another great source of probiotics is green tripe. My animals get green tripe once or twice a week, as it is very beneficial for a variety of reasons, including the fact that it?s full of probiotics. But, if your pet has been given antibiotics, or if you are in the process of switching them over to a species-appropriate diet, you may decide to provide them with an additional probiotic supplement. If you do this, there are a few things to keep in mind to help you choose the best probiotic supplement for your pet (trust me, they are not all created equal!). The first thing to look for when you are choosing a probiotic supplement for your pet is the number of strains of ?good? bacteria in the supplement. You want a supplement with a minimum of 10-12 strains to promote optimal health. That?s because there are many different kinds (or strains) of ?good? bacteria, so choosing a probiotic with a broad range of strains will help build up a variety of beneficial bacteria in the gut. Next, take a look at how many beneficial bacteria there are per serving? in other

Two Australian Sheperds. ÂŠ Kristyna Kacerova | Dreamstime.com

words, how potent the probiotic supplement is. Ideally, look for a probiotic supplement that has 20-40 million or more beneficial bacteria per serving. In order to help ensure that the probiotic supplement you are choosing is viable, potent, and pure, look for one that is manufactured in a facility that is certified to meet or exceed Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) requirements. To be certified, the manufacturer must proactively work to ensure the product is safe, potent, and pure, and demonstrate that their manufacturing process allows them to avoid contamination and errors. Sometimes, manufacturers don?t list this on the label, so you will need to do your homework to find a probiotic supplement that meets all the requirements. Once you've selected a probiotic, make sure to use the probiotic supplement by the expiration date. Oh, and one last thing? remember to only use the supplement as long as necessary, and then allow a species-appropriate diet and the laws of health to do what they do best: support your pet in maintaining health.

-By Kristin Clark

ANINTRODUCTIONTOIRIDOLOGY conjunction with the other natural modalities, such as essential oils, homeopathy, chiropractic, and so on. It is not intended to be a stand-alone tool.

Close-up of cat eyes. ÂŠ Dennis Van De Water | Dreamstime.com

As part of a regular column, Raw Pet Digest brings you information about different ways to support natural health, such as acupuncture, homeopathy, iridology, herbal medicine, and so on. In this issue, we will be taking a look at iridology. Iridology is a great supplemental natural modality that can be used with dogs, cats, people, horses, and so on to help analyze various organs and systems in the body to see which are potentially weak and which potentially strong. You can then use this information to lend additional support to those systems that may need a bit of extra help. Because iridology is an analytical tool, it is best when used in

Iridology as we know it today was first developed by Dr. Ignatz von Peczely and Reverend Nils Liljequist in the late 1800s. The two men worked independently, but came up with charts and ?iris maps? that were actually quite similar. According to the book Visions of Health, iridology is the ?art and science of analyzing the color and structure of the iris of the eye to gain valuable health information.? Originally, it was developed for people, but more recently Dr. Mercedes Colburn mapped the equine, feline, and canine irises. Her maps allow pet owners and veterinarians alike to glean valuable information from a study of a particular animal?s irises. The iris? the colored portion of the eye? of every single eye is different. No two animals have the same iris, and even in the same animal, the left and right iris can be very different. These differences are all used by iridologists to gain an understanding of the body?s systems and how well they are functioning. For example, if the fibers in the iris are tight, or close together, the body is generally strong and therefore more resistant to disease (in other words, it has a strong terrain). Loose fibers, or ones that aren?t close together, generally indicate a body that is weaker and more susceptible to disease. But iridologists can go deeper than that. Using the iris maps, they can gain insight into which organs and systems 18

may be weaker or out of balance. Describing the entire iris map is beyond the scope of this article, but we will touch on some of the insights iridology can give. If you are interested in learning more or seeing what iridology can reveal about your pet, go to Dr. Colburn?s website, or set up an appointment with a qualified animal iridologist. Psora and drug deposit s Often, iridologists observe colored spots of varying densities in the iris. These spots can be either psora or drug deposits. Psora are heavy, dark patches that typically indicate inherited chemicals. Drug or other chemical deposits show up in the iris as bright yellow, red, or orange spots. Usually, they are smaller than the psora and are scattered around the iris.

Toxic, sl ow-moving bowel s When a bowel is full of toxins and moving sluggishly, the iris shows lines called radii solaris. These long, dark lines, which resemble bicycle spokes, look like they are branching out from the pupil. The darker and denser the ?spoke,? the more intense the toxic condition. Generally speaking, the presence of radii solaris indicate a need to detoxify the bowls and body. They may also indicate parasitic infection.

Radii solaris resemble spokes on a bicycle wheel.

Excessive nerve t ension

Example of psora and drug depotis.

Weakened const it ut ions The presence of lesions, either lacunae (closed lesions), crypts (small, closed, very dark lesions), or ?open? (lesions that are open on one side and closed on the other), indicate inherited or acquired weaknesses in the body. Based on their location, the iridologist can determine which areas of the body are weaker and so need to be strengthened.

Nerve rings, which are formed by the iris fibers buckling and appear as concentric circles or partial arcs in the iris, indicate excessive nerve tension. They can indicate that the individual is under stress, which can present as indigestion, muscle tenseness, headache, etc. If the nerve rings are heavy, it suggests that the subject needs to relax and reduce stress.

Nerve rings in the iris.

Example of lesions in the iris.

Skin issues When there is a darkened rim at the periphery of the iris (called a scurf rim), it indicates that the skin is underactive and isn?t eliminating properly. This further suggests that toxins and waste materials may be accumulating faster than the skin can eliminate them. The scurf rim can vary greatly? it may be thin, thick, dark, or light, but in all cases, it means that toxins are not being eliminated fast enough. In this case, a reduction in the toxins coming in may be of great benefit.

The darkened rim is known as a scurf rim.

Sl ow l ymph syst em A slow, sluggish, and underperforming lymph system appears in the iris as small, cloud-like spots. Generally, the spots are found towards the outside of the iris, but they can move closer to the interior in some instances. These spots, which are called lymphatic rosary, look like a string of pearls or the beads of a rosary, which is where they got their name. The fact that the spots are white indicates inflammation. If the spots are yellow or light brown, it indicates that the condition has existed for a while. When you see this, it may indicate that there is not a proper amount of exercise (remember, the lymph is moved through exercise).

periphery appears. This is known as a sodium ring, and it is a deposit in the corneal tissues.

The solid white ring circling the iris is known as a sodium ring.

Concl usion These are just a few of the things that iridology can help you see. To fully understand iridology, see a trained iridologist or review the equine, feline, and/ or canine iris maps that Dr. Colburn developed. As with all the other modalities, iridology is meant to help support you in making sure your pet?s body is balanced and strong. It is a great analytical tool that you can use to help guide you in seeing which parts of your pet?s body may need extra support so that they can be strengthened, revitalized, and brought back into harmony with the body?s other systems.

-By Kristin Clark

Chemical imbal ances When there is a chemical imbalance in the body, a solid white ring circling the iris at the

Close-up of Barkley's head and eyes. Photo credit: Milton Clark

ENZYMES:THEUNSUNG HEROES

Enzo, an Al askan Mal amut e, eat ing a deer carcass. Phot o credit : Bre Al t herr

Ah, enzymes. Tiny, unsung heroes, and yet without them, life as we know it wouldn't exist. Enzymes, tiny proteins located in cells, are catalysts in many different biological functions. They are vital for so many of our pet?s body processes, and so it is important to make sure that our pets are getting enough of them. To give you a sense of how important enzymes are, take a look at some of (certainly not all!) the things they do: -

Support the immune system (for example, help produce T cells and white blood cells, and reduce inflammation by breaking up circulating immune complexes, or CICs) Help the body absorb and digest vitamins and minerals Promote respiratory health Help reduce sensitivies to food Help promote proper cell growth Support healthy teeth and gums in our carnivore pets Reduce the frequency of digestive upsets that lead to bloating, gas, heartburn, and constipation Decrease skin irritation and excessive shedding Provide the body with more energy because they allow the body to absorb and use nutrients more efficiently Help the body more effectively flush out toxins Promote joint health and therefore reduce joint pain and discomfort

Met abol ic and digest ive enzymes There are two main types of enzymes that are vital to your dog or cat?s health: metabolic enzymes and digestive enzymes. You may have already guessed from their name that metabolic enzymes support all the crucial

functions related to your pet?s metabolism? in other words, they support all the physical and chemical processes that are necessary for the maintenance of life. Think about that for a second? enzymes are required for all of the billions of functions that keep your pet alive, healthy, and thriving. There are also digestive enzymes, which, as the name implies, work in the digestive system to digest the food your dog or cat eats. There are four main digestive enzymes produced by cells: protease (breaks down and digests protein), amylase (breaks down and digests carbs and starches), lipase (breaks down and digests fats), and cellulase (breaks down and digests fiber). Because our dogs and cats are carnivores, they have a high amount of protease, especially compared to omnivores and herbivores. They do not, however, have a sufficient amount of amylase or cellulase to break down grains and plant matter. Just as with any animal, all the digestive enzymes in your dog or cat?s system work together to help your carnivore digest and absorb the nutrients they need to stay in optimal health. If your pet was fed a processed food diet, chances are good that they don?t have a sufficient number of digestive enzymes. We will discuss why in a moment, but for now, it is important to understand that if your pet doesn?t have enough digestive enzymes, their body will divert metabolic enzymes away from vital tasks to aid in the digestion process. This means that things like immune function are compromised as the body focuses on digestion. Furthermore, even though metabolic enzymes are diverted to assist with digestion, often when there aren?t enough digestive enzymes, the digestion process doesn?t get completed, which means that not all the nutrients are

absorbed by the body and that partially digested food particles can enter the bloodstream from the large intestine. This can lead to serious health issues, and the imbalance also puts a great deal of stress on your pet's body. Enzyme depl et ion So why might your pet be low on enzymes? If your dog or cat was fed processed food like kibble, which is of course cooked, they probably do not have sufficient enzymes to promote and maintain optimal health. Enzymes are incredibly fragile, and the cooking process destroys the enzymes that were present in the food. And, because our pets must use enzymes to digest their food each time they eat, they actually deplete their enzyme load because they don?t replace the enzymes used in digestion with more from their food when they eat cooked kibble. This doesn?t just go for kibble? any cooked diet can destroy the enzymes. That is one of the reasons why a species-appropriate raw diet is so important. Furthermore, it?s not just heat that kills enzymes? pesticides, herbicides, ?flavor enhancers,? preservatives, and other toxins can also destroy them, which means that the cleaners you use in your home and even the flea and tick or heartworm preventatives you give your pet can negatively impact your pet?s enzyme load. Our dogs and cats are designed to get their enzymes from two sources: their food and, to a lesser extent, their own bodies. While the pancreas does produce some enzymes (for dogs and cats, it can produce some protease, some lipase, and a small amount of amylase, although it doesn?t produce cellulase), it certainly doesn?t produce enough of any of them to completely handle all of your pet?s metabolic and digestive functions.

Since your dog or cat can?t produce enough enzymes on their own, they have evolved to fulfill the majority of their enzyme requirement through their food. Raw muscle meat contains digestive enzymes, and so do organs, particularly organs like the pancreas and liver. Carnivores evolved to eat raw food? they do not need their food cooked, and as I mentioned earlier, the cooking process actually kills the enzymes that are so important to them. Let me reiterate that the inevitable depletion of the enzyme load that comes from eating cooked food throws their whole system out of balance, which in time can lead to serious health issues. A raw diet, on the other hand, gives them lots of digestive enzymes, which means that there is no burden on their enzyme load, and the amount of enzymes they get from their food and their own bodies is sufficient to help keep them optimally fit and thriving. If you have not been feeding a species-appropriate raw food diet, then your dog or cat?s pancreas has likely been overtaxed trying to break down the grains and plant matter it has been hit with. As I mentioned earlier, a carnivore?s pancreas is not designed to produce cellulase, and it also doesn?t produce enough amylase to effectively digest grains. This

Merlin, an American Pit Bull Terrier, enjoying a species-appropriate meal. Photo credit: Bre Altherr

inability to effectively break down plant matter and grains is just one part of why feeding a traditional processed diet stresses our carnivores?body systems and throws everything out of balance. Furthermore, enzyme production goes down as our pets get older, which taxes the body even more. And, because our pets rely on enzymes to keep their cells, organs, and body systems functioning properly, a lack of them will, as I mentioned earlier, lead to health issues and actually speed up the aging process.

If you do need to supplement enzymes for your pet, the best way to do it is through whole foods. Plant-based enzyme supplements are not appropriate for carnivores, and may not have the correct amounts or types of the digestive enzymes that a carnivore requires. So what should you feed? Well, one of the best foods to supplement enzymes is raw green tripe.

Tripe is the stomach of ruminating animals, such as cattle, goats, sheep, bison, deer, and Suppl ement ing enzymes antelope. ?Green? refers to the fact that it has If your pet has been on a species-appropriate not been processed (bleached, cleaned, or raw diet for a long time, you probably don?t need cooked) in any way. On a side note, green to supplement them with extra enzymes. doesn?t refer to its color? generally it?s more However, if you are just transitioning them, or if brown than green, although depending on they still need a little extra support, it may be what the ruminant has eaten, it may have a very beneficial to provide them with additional greenish tinge. Raw green tripe is beneficial enzymes to help them build their enzyme for many reasons, but for the purposes of this potential back up. This even goes for pets that article, we are mostly interested in the fact were fed kibble that had enzymes added to it; that raw green tripe is loaded with digestive these enzymes generally can?t survive exposure enzymes. Feeding raw green tripe once or to air or light, or even the processing the kibble twice a week is a great way to make sure that undergoes to ensure a long shelf life, which your pet is building back up their stores of means that they really don?t do your pet any digestive enzymes. While you can feed the tripe in its whole form, you can also feed it good at all. ground, as long as it remains raw and green. This is very important? while raw green tripe is very beneficial to supplement enzymes for our carnivore pets, make sure that you are getting tripe that is green (unprocessed) and raw. Canned tripe is processed, which destroys the enzymes, and freeze-dried or air-dried tripe probably doesn?t have enough enzymes to make any significant impact as a supplement.

Grazing cattle. ÂŠ Bernhard Richter | Dreamstime.com

One thing to keep in mind if you?ve never fed tripe before? it has a very strong odor. I keep mine in my deep freezer (I get it in 2-pound chubs from www.greentripe.com) and only take it out when it?s time to defrost. I let it 24

thaw overnight outside in the garage, and I never have an issue with the smell. One of the best things you can do for your pet is to make sure that they have an adequate amount of enzymes. Because they have evolved to get the majority of their digestive enzymes through their food, it is a good idea to make sure that you feed them a species-appropriate raw food diet, and supplement enzymes if needed. One of the best ways to supplement is by feeding raw

green tripe a few times per week, because in addition to its other many benefits, raw green tripe is loaded with digestive enzymes. Your dog or cat will greatly benefit from the boost of enzymes, because the enzymes will help support all their metabolic processes and body systems, and ensure that their bodies can achieve and maintain balance and therefore thrive.

-By Kristin Clark

King, an American Bully, and Schatzie, a Carolina Dog, full of enzymes and glowing with health. Photo credit: Kim Bloomer

FLEAANDTICKPREVENTION: PARTONE As other articles in this issue have discussed, we commonly use a lot of drugs on our pets. Indeed, our prolific use of these drugs is actually having a negative impact on our pet?s health, our health, and the health of our planet. Any discussion of drugs on our pets wouldn?t be complete without looking at drugs intended for flea and tick prevention, which are of course some of the most commonly applied ?treatments? to our dogs and cats. In this two-part series, we look at what is actually in some of the common flea and tick preventatives, what the effects of those ingredients are, and what natural alternatives are available. As you consider the safety of products like Frontline® Plus and K9 Advantix® , keep the following information from the National Resources Defense Council in mind: ?Many and perhaps most Americans believe that commercially available pesticides, such as those found in pet products, are tightly regulated by the government. In fact, they are not. Not until the passage of a 1996 law focused on pesticides in food did the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) begin examining the risks from pesticides in pet products in earnest. To this day, the EPA allows the manufacture and sale of pet products containing hazardous insecticides with little or no demonstration that a child's exposure to these ingredients would be safe. Just because these products are on store shelves does not mean they have been tested or can be presumed safe. So just use natural nutrients and additives and stop using pesticides.

Of course, as bad as these products may be for pet owners and caregivers, they often are worse for the pets themselves. Based on the very limited data available, it appears that hundreds and probably thousands of pets have been injured or killed through exposure to pet products containing pesticides. As with small children, pets cannot report when they're being poisoned at low doses.? It?s not just the National Resources Defense Council that cautions against these types of products. The Environmental Protection Agency also said that ?products intended to treat cats and dogs for fleas and ticks kill hundreds of pets each year and injure tens of thousands.? Furthermore, the EPA received ?44,263 reports of harmful reactions associated with topical flea and tick products in 2008, up from 28,895 in 2007. The reactions reported ranged from skin irritations to vomiting to seizures to, in about 600 cases, death of an animal.? Two of the most common flea and tick preventatives (via topical application) are Frontline® Plus and K9 Advantix® . Let?s take a look at the active ingredients in Frontline® Plus first, and then take a look at K9 Advantix® . Front l ine® Pl us The active ingredients in Frontline® Plus are Fipronil and (S)-methoprene. Fipronil is used to kill adult fleas and ticks by disrupting their central nervous systems. However, Fipronil is also very dangerous, both to pets and people. For example, studies have shown that Fipronil mutates proteins and kills human liver cells at very low concentrations. Additionally, another study found that, after one day of applying Frontline® to an adult dog, petting it for just five 26

minutes while wearing gloves resulted in exposures much higher than the small doses needed to mutate and destroy cells. Furthermore, any surface that the animal touched was affected, and dander and shed hair was also found to be toxic for a period of time. Fipronil has been found to break down very slowly in the environment: it can last for 7-12 months on vegetation, and it also breaks down quite slowly in soil. Although the manufacturer, Merial, denies that there is any relation between Frontline® Plus and reported side effects, numerous pet owners have reported seizures and even death after applying Frontline® Plus to their pets. Additionally, it should be noted that this chemical is cumulative, so even if your pet doesn?t experience adverse reactions when you first apply it, it can lead to severe issues down the road. A study that was conducted using mice also

Veterinarian with Jack Russell Terrier. © Antonio Gravante | Dreamstime.com

showed that Fipronil led to nerve cell damage, impaired spinal cord development, developmental delays, smaller brains, reduced cognition, hearing impairment, hair loss, thyroid cancer, adverse reproductive effects, and disruptions in endocrine activity. (S)-methoprene, the other active ingredient in Frontline® Plus, is used to kill flea eggs and larvae. Like Fipronil, it is a pesticide, and studies have shown that (S)-methoprene can cause vomiting in dogs, along with behavior changes, breathing changes, and ?body movements.? It also has been found to have negative effects on reproductive health. K9 Advant ix® K9 Advantix® contains the active ingredients Imidacloprid and Permethrin. Permethrin is not just used in flea and tick preventatives; it is also used to kills pests on crops and in yards. Like Frontline® Plus, K9 Advantix is a pesticide? a poison? that we are asked to apply directly to the skin of our pet. Side effects that have been noted in K9 Advantix® are rashes, vomiting, diarrhea, seizures, and nerve pain/ damage. Small dogs are reported to be more susceptible than large dogs, although both can be affected. Cats are also very susceptible to Permethrin, and can sicken and die if they come into contact with it. The product does not have to be applied to the cat directly; they can come into contact with it through interactions with a dog that had the product applied, by laying somewhere a treated dog was laying, and so on. According to the Material Safety Data Sheet for Imidacloprid, the product can be fatal if swallowed and harmful if inhaled. It also, as all the Material Safety Data Sheets for the chemicals in these products do, cautions you to avoid contact with skin, eyes, and clothing. It also advises you to remove and wash 27

contaminated clothing, and even advises safety goggles as protective clothing when working with or around the chemical. The Material Safety Data Sheet is a ?detailed information bulletin prepared by the manufacturer or importer of a chemical that describes the physical and chemical properties, physical and health hazards, routes of exposure, precautions for safe handling and use, emergency and first-aid procedures, and control procedures.? When the Material Safety Data Sheet (also called the MSDS) advises against contact with skin, I think it is a red flag that should make us stop and think about why the instructions are then advising us to apply that same product to the skin of our pets. And, as I mentioned, it?s not just Imidacloprid that advises you to avoid skin contact; the MSDSs for the other active ingredients in flea and tick preventatives do too.

Fl ea and t ick product s in general FrontlineÂŽ Plus and K9 AdvantixÂŽ are not the only flea and tick preventatives available, and all of them are dangerous to your pet. Although the companies do not admit that their products cause adverse reactions, the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Resources Defense Council, many scientific studies, and numerous pet owners have found that these products cause adverse reactions, sometimes severe, and even in some cases death, in their pets. And, since the toxicity is cumulative, continued use of these products can lead to more and severe issues. In the next issue, we will look at natural approaches to flea and tick control. Hopefully, by the time flea and tick season roll around again, you will be prepared, and you won?t have to subject your pets, your family, or the environment to the negative effects of these all-too-common drugs.

-By Kristin Clark

Barkley, a Border Collie mix, enjoying a beautiful walk. Photo credit: Kristin Clark

Cleo, a Canaan, out on a hike. Photo credit: Kristin Clark

SPOTLIGHTONHEALTH: DR.ERINO'CONNOR

Dr. Erin O'Connor wit h her dogs, Bel l a and Lol o. Phot o credit : Erin O'Connor

This issue, we are bringing you our business feature in a slightly different format. As always, our goal in featuring a particular business is to help make you aware of different services and people that can help you as you support your pet in achieving and maintaining health naturally. In this issue, we are featuring someone who can help you support your pet in several different ways. Dr. Erin O'Connor is an Animal Chiropractor and Carnivore Nutrition Consultant, and her in-depth answers to our questions are fascinating and enlightening. Enjoy! Why did you decide t o become an animal chiropract or? How did you get int o nat uropat hy and pet nut rit ion? What at t ract ed you t o t hem? How l ong have you been doing each? Most chiropractors, whether human or animal, have a story behind how they chose that path. I?m no exception. I began my undergrad career at Eastern Illinois University (EIU) as a biological sciences major, concentrating in pre-veterinary medicine. During my freshman year, while I was home during winter break, I was rear-ended by a drunk driver, which pushed my car into both the van and car in front of me. I had several health issues following that. I saw many doctors. I didn?t know much about health then, but the options I was given were taking 6 NSAIDs a day, getting a shot of anesthetic into the right side of my head, surgery for the damaged trigeminal nerve in my face, or just living with pain? none sounded like great options for an 18-year-old. My chiropractor was the only doctor to tell me to give my adjustments time and I should see improvements. I finally did and the more improvements I made, the more I thought

chiropractic was a really neat profession, which I never knew about prior to my accident. I observed chiropractors and veterinarians. It was a tough choice, and my advisor at EIU joked and said, ?You should do both!? In the end, the chiropractors all seemed happier with what they were doing. I decided to apply to chiropractic school, and I added human anatomy and physiology classes into my curriculum, since I had only taken animal-based classes in my first years. It was a smooth transition since both vet and chiropractic schools have similar pre-requisites. I went to Palmer College of Chiropractic with the intention to help people. Almost a year into Palmer, I heard there was an animal chiropractor, Dr. Shanie Cahill, doing a guest lecture. I attended that, listened to every detail, and thought, ?This is the perfect option for me to both provide chiropractic care AND work with animals!? Through the remainder of my chiropractic education, I spent a lot of time at her office observing and eventually adjusting under her after completing my animal chiropractic education. It was a busy time for me, working in two human chiropractic clinics and also making sure I spent a good amount of time gaining extra experience in an animal chiropractic clinic, but it was totally worth it. Back then I thought it was the perfect profession for me, and five years into my own practice, Vitality Chiropractic Center, I still do!

I decided to further my education with the American Council of Animal Naturopathy to better serve my patients. I had already done about four years of independent research. A mutual friend introduced me to Dr. Bloomer, one of ACAN?s directors, and I thought by taking ACAN?s course I would solidify my knowledge in carnivore nutrition. It definitely did that, and more. I had been doing some nutrition guidance for a few years and opened my ?official? online consulting site, Roaring For Raw, in the winter of 2014. 2) What is your background (credent ial s or cert if icat ions, memberships, school ing, et c.)? Education: -

Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences, Eastern Illinois University Doctor of Chiropractic, Palmer College of Chiropractic Certified Animal Chiropractor, Parker University Certified Carnivore Nutrition Consultant, American Council of Animal Naturopathy

Certifications: -

National Board of Chiropractic Examiners - Parts I, II, III, IV, PT American Veterinary Chiropractic Association American Council of Animal Naturopathy

I have many certifications, memberships, media features, and organizations I have either worked or volunteered for. I don?t want to bore everyone with all those details. If you?re interested in checking it all out, my curriculum vitae is on my website, myvitalitychiropractic.com; click ?meet us.?

3) I know you have t wo f ocuses: chiropract ic and nut rit ion. Do you have l ot s of cl ient s t hat do bot h? Or are most peopl e one or t he ot her? For Roaring f or Raw specif ical l y, do al l consul t at ions invol ve nut rit ion, t oxins, and t he eight l aws of heal t h, or are t here dif f erent consul t at ions f or dif f erent t hings? Yes, my two focuses are chiropractic and nutrition. Most clients start in one area. Once in a while, some clients will contact me requesting both at once. With my nutrition consults, some are from faraway places. Even though I?ve provided chiropractic care for patients from 17 states currently, and I am flattered and very grateful that anyone would travel from far away to see me, we all have busy lives, and it can be tough to travel with pets, so I refer them to the directory at AVCAdoctors.com. Some clients who start with chiropractic care become interested in feeding their pet a raw diet, but don?t know how or where to start. With the internet these days, there?s so much endless information available, some from credible sources and some not so much. Some have the credentials but then are sponsored by a pet food manufacturer. It can be crazy trying to get through it all. When doing my research before ACAN, I had been there and done that! By consulting with any of the professionals from the American Council of Animal Naturopathy, it can help clear a lot of that information up and ensure you?re feeding a raw diet properly. There may be other credible professionals out there as well, but I am comfortable with referring to any of the practitioners in their directory.

4) In your opinion, what is t he most import ant t hing f or peopl e t o underst and about achieving nat ural heal t h f or t heir pet s? With understanding natural health, the most important thing for people to understand is simply that? to remember to look back to nature. It will help you better understand what is happening health-wise, and it will allow you to make better choices as well. You can?t clean a lake by dumping sewage in it, and the same goes for our bodies. One of my favorite quotes on the subject is: ?You know that if you have a dump you have rats. If you poison the dump you will kill off the rats...but if you leave the dump there they'll be back! The same is true in the body. If a weakness exists you will harbor the germs, viruses, and bacteria. A shot of some antibiotic clears up the infection, kills off the germs, but if the weakness remains, they will be back again, just like the rats in the dump.? -Dr. Fred Barge 5) For Roaring f or Raw, how can peopl e use your services?

at least one follow-up consult, which tends to be around 15 minutes, to make sure everything is going as planned, answer any questions, and see if there are any changes we need to make. Every patient is different, so I don?t have a single set protocol. I adjust to their needs. 6) For your chiropract ic business, Vit al it y Chiropract ic Cent er, how do you t ypical l y deal wit h a t ense/ nervous/ react ive animal ? Most animals I adjust learn pretty quickly that it makes them feel good and get excited to see me to get their adjustment. However, there?s always going to be some nervous patients. I have many calming methods I can implement. For every animal, I take the time to greet them before doing any testing, feeling, or adjustments. I wouldn?t want a health professional to walk in, ignore me, and start moving my body around, so I think animals deserve the same thing. With nervous patients, I tend to slow things down, take breaks, and go at their pace. I also can use calming therapeutic essential oils or calming music. I like to have the owner in the

For Roaring for Raw, I have it set up as an internet-based business so that people from anywhere can take advantage of it. We schedule an appointment by phone or Skype. I have several options available to accommodate whatever the client?s needs and goals are. They let me know which consult they are interested in, and they send me their history form (which looks at the health history of their pet, as well as diet, lifestyle, and potential toxins in their environment). Session time varies according to their consult selection. I usually suggest Dr. O'Connor adjusting a dog. Photo credit: Erin O'Connor

room, so they can see everything I do. However, sometimes if the owner is nervous, their pet picks up on it, and that is what causes their pet to be nervous. Sometimes if they step out, the animal's behavior completely changes.

8) Is t here anyt hing el se you can t hink of you'd l ike t o share t hat woul d hel p peopl e underst and t he impact nat uropat hy and/ or chiropract ic can have, and/ or t hat you want t hem t o know, eit her about nat uropat hy or chiropract ic?

Other pets may not want someone in their personal bubble, so I have two different methods of adjusting, one of which is less in their space so that I can accommodate those pets as well.

Both areas of health can have a profound impact on your pet?s life. I really encourage any pet owners out there to seek out an animal chiropractor. Even if your pet is healthy, going a few times a year can help keep them that way and retain function as they age so they can continue doing the things they love with you. If your pet has a condition, whether arthritis, limping, allergies, seizures, neurological issues, spinal pain, disc issues, chewing their paws, or if they are a dog athlete, it?s even more crucial to see an animal chiropractor. You can search for a qualified animal chiropractor by going to IVCA.de or AVCAdoctors.com.

I?m pretty flexible; my goal is to do whatever allows for the most positive experience for the animal while being able to provide a chiropractic adjustment. 7) What is your f avorit e experience working wit h a dog or cat ? Why? With any animal, it?s the ability to establish a connection with them, know that I?m helping them, and have them sense that I am helping them as well. My passion behind the care that I provide continues to be inspired by each and every animal I meet.

With naturopathy and carnivore nutrition, the same thing goes, I have seen a prey model raw diet change my own dog?s lives and the lives of my patients. I?ve seen it help dogs, cats, and ferrets who seem totally healthy already gain shiny coats, clear eyes, normal stool, lean muscles; I?ve also seen it help all the way to the other end of the spectrum: dogs who are on their death beds with things such as hemangiosarcoma, pancreatic cancer, and liver cancer live much longer than expected. Not only that, but it has helped these animals have a quality life during that time as well! And, I?ve seen it help animals between the two extremes as well.

Cat enjoying an adjustment. Photo credit: Erin O'Connor 33

Why do these methods work? Because we are supporting the body?s normal processes and caring for our pets by following how their bodies are naturally designed.

show signs of his cancer with weight loss and lethargy, and the owner decided it was time. They had a nice last moment together and he was thankful for the last several months he had with Nigel.

A case that combines both animal chiropractic and carnivore nutrition is about a sweet black lab named Nigel. He came to me with seizures, which were progressively increasing despite being on anti-seizure meds and having those dosages increased. The owner thought it was time to try something new. With chiropractic care, Nigel?s seizures decreased in severity and frequency and eventually resolved. He was able to get off all his past medications and acted like a different dog. He was a bit of a couch potato prior and suddenly had more energy, chased geese, went swimming, played, counter surfed, and more. The owner couldn?t believe it and was excited each visit to tell me the new things Nigel was up to. I continued to see Nigel every few months so that we could maintain that. A few years later, something suddenly appeared very wrong with Nigel. The vet found he had a hemangiosarcoma of his spleen; this is typically a silent killer usually found when it is too late. The vet didn?t have any options and the owner emailed me that evening that he had to cancel his appointment because Nigel wasn?t going to make it past that week. I contacted him with a last ditch effort to help Nigel. We switched him over to a prey model raw diet immediately. By the end of the week, Nigel made a turn around, and continued to improve. He spent the next eight months with his owner with a quality life, swimming in the pond, going on walks, doing everything he loved. After the eight months, Nigel started to

9) What 's t he best way f or cust omers t o get in t ouch wit h you? The best way is through email or phone. If they are interested in animal chiropractic, they should email me at drerinoconnor@myvitalitychiropractic.com. If they are interested in a carnivore nutrition consultation, they can email me at info@roaringforraw.com. The best phone number to reach me is my office 630-499-4078. My up-to-date business hours can always be found on my website, myvitalitychiropractic.com. If you?re interested in what I do, but don?t have a need for my services, I am active on social media, so feel free to follow my Facebook pages, Vitality Animal Chiropractic Center and Roaring For Raw.

A Great Dane running. Regular adjustments can help animals remain active. ÂŠ Danielle Mussman | Dreamstime.com 34

EVERYTHINGIN MODERATION

Over the last several issues, we have spent a lot of time discussing the first four laws of health (nutrition, exercise, clean water, and sunshine/ supplements). In this issue, I want to continue the series by talking about the fifth law of health: temperance. Temperance is an old-fashioned word that means ?moderation in action, thought, or feeling.? Whenever I think about temperance, the old saying about ?Moderation in all things? comes to mind. The many sayings we have about moderation might be clichĂŠ, but that?s for a very good reason: only by following them do we (and our pets!) thrive. The law of temperance is unlike the other laws we?ve discussed so far, because they?ve all been about tangible things: feeding a species-appropriate diet, ensuring proper and sufficient exercise, giving access to fresh, pure water, and so on. However, this law is just as vital and important as all the other laws, because it reminds us to practice moderation in regards to everything we do, even in following the other laws of health. In fact, you can think of the law of temperance as a mindset more than a law. Following this law, and making it your mindset, will guide you as you support your

pet?s journey to natural health. This law can be especially important if you have a sick pet, because often you want to do everything you can, as much as you can, and as intensely as you can, to help that pet get back on the road to health. I myself have certainly experienced moments where I think, ?If a little bit of this is good, then more would absolutely be better.? I?ve also found myself trying to rush one of my pets through a detox so they can get better, instead of practicing temperance and letting nature take its course. However, this can cause more harm than good. Temperance is about remembering that nature?s ways are slow but sure, and then allowing those ways to take their course. One of the main ways that we can follow this law is in how we feed our pets. Remember, when we feed a species-appropriate diet, we are looking to achieve balance over time. There is no ?perfect formula? that we must follow for every single meal every single day. Instead, just like how we ourselves eat, our pets gain the nutrients that they require through a variety of proteins and a variety of meats, bones, organs, and glands. Each type of protein and each medium (muscle meat, bone, organ, and gland) supplies different nutrients or minerals. Take liver, for example. It contains lots of different vitamins, such as Vitamin A, the B vitamins, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, and Vitamin K. Our pets need these vitamins to thrive, but they can also have too much of them. So, we must be moderate in how we feed liver? in fact, liver should only account for about 5% of your pet?s food intake on a weekly basis. That means, on average, a 50-pound dog that?s being fed about 3% of its body weight each day would only get about 8.5 ounces of liver per week (and almost 170 ounces of food total). Moderation, or

Noel Socks, a Boxer, and Beauregard the cat enjoying some couch time. Photo credit: Alison Peloquin

temperance, is the key: liver is very important, but as you can see, you don?t need to feed much of it compared to what else you feed your pet. Another way that we practice moderation is in how much we feed. Even an animal fed a species-appropriate diet can become overweight or obese if fed too much. Practicing temperance, and paying careful attention to how heavy or thin your cat or dog is, will allow you to make the required adjustments to ensure they stay at a healthy weight. This in turn will allow all their systems to function better, which will support their bodies in thriving. A key area in which to practice moderation is exercise. When animals are over-exercised, they can injure themselves. They also become exhausted, and their bodies must devote valuable resources to healing whatever damage is done, instead of maintaining a healthy environment that facilitates, for example, the correct balance of friendly bacteria and a healthy immune system. And,

Moonlight through the trees. Photo credit: Milton Clark

just like us, when our pets become overly tired, they can get cranky, reactive, and grumpy. Overdoing anything, even exercise, puts stress on the individual?s body, mind, and spirit. Exercise is important, and it is beneficial, but you can have too much of a good thing. Temperance reminds us to slow down and be mindful in what we do and what we let our pets do, which supports the proper balance required for the natural maintenance of health. One other thing that I want to touch on is temperance and the healing crisis, or healing response. When our animals are detoxing? perhaps from being fed kibble, or from being over-vaccinated, or even from the toxin buildup that things like household cleaners and air fresheners have caused? they typically experience a healing response (for more about the healing response, please see the April/ May 2015 issue of Raw Pet Digest). Depending on the severity of the healing response, you may need to slow the transition down or ease up on the detox, while at the same time supporting the animal throughout

the healing crisis. It?s all about moderation? we want the pet to detox, but we want it accomplished without causing real harm to the animal. Practicing moderation through the detox period? perhaps backing off a bit or slowing the transition time down, or even supplementing the animal through the process? may be necessary. And, keeping your emotions in balance is also vital. In other words, be happy about the healing response, instead of sad or frustrated or scared. Understanding the balance that must be achieved? the toxins must be expelled and the body must come back into health? is part of practicing temperance.

So you see, temperance enhances the other laws of health. The body is always trying to achieve balance, and it is through that balance that health is maintained. Practicing moderation is one of the best ways to ensure that the balance required by your pet? in their mind, body, and spirit? is maintained. When following this law, remember to slow down and take things one step at a time. Be moderate and gentle in your approach, and above all else, enjoy the journey.

-By Kristin Clark

Knox, an English Mastiff, as a puppy. Photo credit: Jennifer Lee 38

VACCINES:ONEISTOO MANY

The following article originally appeared as an editorial blog post by Dr. Kim Bloomer. The article has been adapted and modified for Raw Pet Digest. If you would like to read the original article in its entirety, or if you would like to read any of Dr. Bloomer's other blog posts, please go to http:/ / aspenbloompetcare.com/ blog/ . As with all of the articles in Raw Pet Digest, my hope is that you will take some time to let Dr. Bloomer?s message sink in. Do your own research (some good resources to get you started are listed in the article) and draw your own conclusions. As we emphasize in Raw Pet Digest, our goal is to educate and empower you so that you can make your own, informed decisions about your pet's care, and part of how we achieve that is to bring you many different voices, experiences, and resources. Enjoy the article! Recently a new vaccine protocol appeared on the horizon from a well-known veterinarian and vaccine researcher. Most

in natural animal health believe that the only good vaccine is the one not given (which is also what I believe, based on reason, truth, and facts). However, many of those same people will support these minimum vaccine protocols because, as they have oft stated, ?a limited or minimal vaccine protocol is a step in the right direction.? They believe this because people are supposedly too indoctrinated to hear the blatant truth and too afraid to not vaccinate or do what veterinarians tell them to do. If one vaccine is one too many, how can a ?minimal protocol? (which, by the way, includes several sets of vaccines for puppies) be a step in the right direction? What happened to speaking truth? It has been whitewashed so much that even those who know the truth that is grounded in facts, logic, and reason, as I stated before, want to be ?gentle? about it all? while our dogs continue to suffer and die as a result. I won?t give you all the facts and real science (as opposed to the pseudo junk paid for by the vaccine manufacturers) here as this would become a dissertation and a volume of books instead of an article. I will, however, give you some starting resources so you can begin your own research into this dark, long rabbit hole weaved by the masters of spin. Let me start by sharing a quote by a friend of mine, Rita, who lost her sweet Standard Poodle boy, Revo, to vaccine damage. He was ?minimally? vaccinated, and died during a grand mal seizure (which is a known side effect of vaccines)? violently and suddenly. Funny how the veterinarians on the state governing boards seem to think seizures aren?t life threatening. Tell that to someone

Knox and Clarice, English Mastiffs, sharing a bone. Photo credit: Jennifer Lee

who has lost their dog during or as a result of seizures, as Rita has and as I have. And by the way, the damage begins at the sperm and egg, which is then passed on, and each subsequent generation receives more and more damage. So your dog doesn?t even have to be vaccinated to receive damage; this was the case with my dog Meshach. It takes generations of no vaccines to clean up the lines. Just feeding the wrong food, as Pottenger?s Cat Study proved, can take up to four generations to clear up, so imagine how much more time it takes to clean up vaccines that bypass the normal protection of the immune system and the blood brain barrier. ?If pet owners are being swayed in the vaccine direction by veterinarians, you can tell them to ask their veterinarian to provide peer-reviewed scientific studies that show vaccines are effective and safe. There is not a single study of vaccinated versus non-vaccinated in humans or animals. Why is that? Big Pharma is well aware that vaccines are not safe and effective. If there were studies in existence, we would be inundated with them in the mainstream media. It?s a worldwide problem in this belief system. Those of us who are informed of this ?No Vaccine is Safe? protocol must own the information and pass that on to the people who are not informed. It is then up to them to make their own informed choices? When someone loses their best companion that suffers a horrific death in front of their eyes caused by vaccines, the only direction is the absolute truth. The ?vaccines are safe and necessary? mantra is a distorted truth (which therefore is a lie) which I blindly followed, and it cost me my dog?s life. Chronic disease and auto-immune disease are vaccine

induced? the belief system that vaccinations immunize is a big fraud! People have been taught to be submissive to the ?authorities,? medical system, and the veterinarians. This belief must change! It is our responsibility to bring awareness and take control of our pet?s health by not subjecting them to any poisons. Promoting nosodes is a great alternative. True health will never be achieved through any needle. I will never let this happen again. R.I.P. my sweet Boy R?vo.? -Rita Giorgio-Masson I think telling people the absolute truth is the only direction to go. It?s time for the whitewashing to stop. One vaccine is one too many. Animals are suffering from this vaccine religion and worship of medicine. It?s time to stop this and be medical heretics. Every single client who works with me comes with the fear of not vaccinating. Once empowered with the truth they stop vaccinating. Period. Time for the truth to prevail? I believe that is the only step in the right direction.

Motley, a Portugese Podengo Pequeno mix. Photo credit: Kristin Clark 41

I will tell you what I tell my clients: follow the money. Always follow the money. The agenda will become as plain as day when you begin to really research, and it has absolutely nothing to do with the health of your pets. Even the veterinarians are being kept in the dark as well. First you pay to have your pet injected with illness by a veterinarian, and then you pay to have that same illness treated by the same veterinarian. This is your gift to human greed and hubris. Your pet has no say, and their suffering is not in the least bit noticed. This needs to end. Now. No more whitewashing. Pull the curtain back. And see the stark reality of what is being done in the name of medical ?advancement? to your pets under the guise of health care delivery and protection. We have all been deceived and lied to? whether you choose to believe it or not. The truth is never dependent upon your belief. The truth is the truth even if no one chooses to believe it, and a lie is still a lie even if everyone chooses to believe it.

Herd immunity with vaccines is impossible (always has been) and can only happen naturally, but that is not what is being propagandized. No, we are being told to believe that everyone and every animal must be vaccinated for true herd immunity to happen? but that has no foundation in truth, logic, or nature for that matter. We hear all the time how a person will say, ?But you must vaccinate your puppy. If you don?t, I can?t let my vaccinated puppy come around yours because he could infect my vaccinated puppy.? There is absolutely zero logic in that statement. None. The belief is so ingrained that even in the face of obvious facts and also the obvious deception of vaccination, people will hold onto the belief. If those vaccines are so good, why are you afraid to allow your vaccinated puppy around my un-vaccinated one? Vaccines cannot immunize. Never could. Never will. Vaccinology and immunology are apples and oranges. But you are told they immunize, so you believe there is some magic bullet that will protect your pet from some scary disease (and, of course, disease and full assurance of immunity is an illusion too) while instituting chronic long-term suffering in the process. Where is the logic and sanity in that? There isn?t. Learn. And let the veil come down. Allow the curtain to open to see the wizard for the miserable little liar that he is. As promised, I want to leave you with a few resources that you can use to start your own research about vaccines. The book

Meshach, Dr. Bloomer's Great Dane. Photo credit: Kim Bloomer 42

Immune Doggy: 4 Pillars of Dynamic Immunity, by Aleksandra Mikic, DMH, DVH, is a wonderful place to start learning about vaccines, what they do, what they don?t do, and safe alternatives. The eBook Natural Immunity: Why You Should NOT Vaccinate, by Pat McKay, is another good book, full of information, that you may want to review. The Canine Health Concern (www.canine-health-concern.org.uk), headed by Catherine O?Driscoll, is another great resource that has lots of information about vaccines. After reading this article, here is what my friend Rita Giorgio-Masson had to add? she said in few words what took me a whole article to say: ?Thank you Kim for this article! It has been long overdue on this discussion of minimal vaccinations. Thank you for including me and R?vo. As you said R?vo and Meshach did not

Lycan, a German Shepherd. Photo credit: Bre Altherr

live in vain. We cannot let this continue to destroy innocent lives. When the beliefs are different than reality, the body lets us know by providing us with some form of pain or negative health event. The negative result and pain are supposed to be a sign that we need to change our belief? because reality doesn?t change. The idea that poisonous vaccines are beneficial is a belief. The reality is much different. This is what we are here to do? Bring only the truth. This article will be shared to all my friends, family, customers. This is a promise to R?vo, Meshach, and to all the precious souls that deserve better than this barbaric so-called ?immunization!?

-By Kim Bloomer

FIVEROADSWELLTRAVELLED WITHNOELSOCKS

Noel Socks, wit h a f risbee. Phot o credit : Al ison Pel oquin

Picture credit: Alison Peloquin

It's funny how we as humans look for ?that one? role model who can inspire, educate, love, and even comfort us, yet many times we pass them right by because they walk on four legs instead of two. These values were taught most recently to me by a humble little fawn-coloured European Boxer named Noel Socks who was ?that one.? Although I have a very long list of two-legged ?ones,? this mighty little hero took me on a personal journey of discovery that has changed the way I not only look at my pets but also the world around me. Noel Socks belonged to close family friends who were struggling with her sudden behavioural changes. Although very loving and friendly around family friends, Socks was not the same around strangers. This was very difficult for our friends, as they were the owners of a hunting/ fishing lodge. So when the discussion came up that they were going to have to re-home their dog, we offered to care for Socks. Thus in October 2011 what was to become an incredible journey began with a dog who taught us countless lessons, five of which I look upon as amazing roads we walked together. The first

most important road was that of unconditional love and trust. Socks had to be reassured that not all people were out to hurt those she loved, and although it took time for her to not be afraid of men wearing black or people in uniform, she never wavered in looking to us for guidance. Together we learned that when I was nervous and fearful of what her reaction would be, she automatically would be nervous and fearful because she was aware of my uncertainty. If she was barking at the doorbell and I'd raise my voice to quiet her she would only respond even louder, because to her if I was yelling then she needed to yell too. I also became aware that part of Socks? fears came from her personal space being crossed. As humans, we all have experienced the feeling of meeting someone new who towers over us and gets right up in our faces. We don't allow this to happen to ourselves or our children, yet daily we do this to our dogs. So I began the habit of stopping and squatting down beside Socks, and together we met each fearful encounter as equals. Admittedly, our walk times took much longer as we had to do this with every dog or scary item we passed, but with time Socks learned to trust again and also brought me to the realization that we do not own or dominate our pets. We choose to cohabitate with them, and they need to be treated with the same dignity and respect we give our spouses and children. As humans we fully understand and respect behavioural issues in our loved ones. We may even seek out help for them to learn how to cope in the big wide world, but as pet owners we try to ?break? our pet's issues. We need to remember that they are sentient beings with feelings and personalities just like us. By coming to that realization, we can help any dog function in the world in which they live. 45

Noel Socks, f riend, t eacher, and t rue companion. Phot o credit : Al ison Pel oquin

By learning to understand our dog's behavioural needs we also find, that just like our human family members, diet and health affect our pets. This second road was the most eye-opening journey Noel Socks took me on. As a wife and mother, I have always looked at what I feed my family, yet as a pet owner I never did, because I trusted that what I was told by our vet, the retail world, and also what all my friends did was right. I sit here writing this article shaking my head at how naĂŻve I was. Here I am, the daughter of a retired registered nurse, who was raised with the knowledge of how diet affects our health. I have always strived to maintain a proper balance by reading ingredient labels and buying fresh non-processed foods for my family, but I never once thought to do the same not only for Noel Socks but also for our cat, Beaureguard. It was not until we sat in our vet's office one day just after Socks had turned five years old that I started to wonder about these things. Our visit to the vet was to seek advice on her stiffness in her left hind end, the urine infection she seemed to have, the large black furless spots that had developed, and our concern for the sudden rapid weight gain. Our vet checked Socks over and said that all these concerns where typical for a ?senior? boxer and

to just get used to it. I left that visit feeling overwhelmed and concerned, as to me a ?senior? dog should be one that is double-digit age. As we struggled with Socks? health issues, we were fortunate to meet an amazing dog breeder/ groomer who took one look at Socks and confirmed that, yes, there was a major problem with her health. Long story short, our little boxer bum was the product of the tainted kibble era and suffering from thyroid issues that would have eventually killed her. Raina Addy, the owner of Best Friends and Raina's Grooming, took the time to educate us on just what the benefits of raw feed were. To this day, her quote of, ?Would you feed your child a bowl full of Cheerios 3 times a day?? has stuck in my brain. Soon the whole concept of raw feeding made sense to me, and as you can see in the pictures, Noel Socks benefitted from this change. Unfortunately, because of damages done due to many years of cheap processed foods, over-vaccination, and the many chemicals used to treat flea, ticks, and heartworm, Socks? immune system suffered unrepairable damage, and this brought us to seek out the holistic approach to care for

Comparison photos of Noel Socks before and after switching a species-appropriate raw food diet. Photo credit: Alison Peloquin

these issues. I soon came to understand that the old saying of ?keep it simple stupid? is in fact very sound advice, and that just as I treated our family health issues naturally, I also needed to treat Socks the same. When earlier this year Socks was diagnosed with a Mast cell tumour, and the vet wanted to do surgery, we looked to an ancient treatment method using turmeric, raw honey, and bromeline. The results, just like those of her raw feeding, were stunning, and became a learning curve for us and even our vet. I often get asked if I support raw feeding/ holistic care for our pets, and my answer is always the same. Yes I do, because my dog became a walking, barking text book of proof that this form of care brings out only the best in our pets.

While grappling with Socks? behavioural and health issues, I began to walk a third road, thanks to the challenge of being asked to see the world through the eyes of my dog. This challenge brought me to a whole new world of discovery of what beauty and wonder there is around me, and how I had become complacent with my surroundings. We live in the heart of the Niagara Region, only 20 minutes away from one of the world's greatest wonders? Niagara Falls. By starting to actually look at what Socks was looking at when walking with her, I was overwhelmed to rediscover the beauty of the area I live in. I began to make sure that everywhere Socks and I went, my camera went too. Socks

Seeing the world from Noel Socks' perspective. Photo credit: Alison Peloquin 48

became a great sport in our adventures of early morning trips down to the Falls to photograph the sun coming up, me resting my camera on her head to take pictures from her perspective, and the greatest discovery, the simple joy of watching a sunset together. My laptop is full of photos of people, pets, and even wildlife we have met while on these adventures. Little did I realize that each one of these memories would help to heal the hurt that would come from walking the fourth road with my Socksie. The Friday of the Labour Day weekend, as Socks and I sat on the mound at Elite Equine Centre watching our daughter's horse grazing in the paddock, the geese wandering the fields, and the sun setting, little did I know that my world as a dog parent was coming to an end. The next day Socks stopped eating, and by Sunday night, we knew that our time with this amazing creature was going to be shorter than we wanted. Labour Day Monday our hearts were broken as we witnessed Socks have

Noel Socks. Photo credit: Alison Peloquin

multiple heart seizures, one after another. Although not willing to eat, Socks was still drinking and was active enough that I felt we might make it over this new health issue and still get to celebrate her 9th birthday in October. Unfortunately that would not be the case, and on Wednesday September 9th we took that one last car ride together to have the vet confirm what we already knew within our hearts. Our precious little baby girl's body had given all it could give, and it was time to let Socks know that she had taught us everything she could and that she need not suffer any more. As my little Socks-a-saursa lay in my arms taking her last breath, I realized just how much she had changed my life. I also realized that grief is a natural event in our lives, and whether it be the death of a loved one or our pets we need to mourn the loss, otherwise we dishonour the memory of that person or pet. It is perfectly fine to cry and be sad at the loss of a pet. Just days after Noel Socks? death, I was asked what song best described each of my pets, and the first thing I thought of for Socks was the first two verses of the hymn How Great Thou Art. My walk down these four roads with Socks had brought me to see the power of unconditional love, the wonder and beauty of my surroundings, the heartbreak of loss, but also the preparation of the fifth and final road I now travel on alone. When we first began our raw feeding journey, I had actually used modern media to create a Facebook page that Socks? original owners could use to see all that we were doing with their dog while in our 49

care. As we began to research and learn more about the raw/ holistic care of Socks, what was just a personal page became a group page where people from all corners of the world came to share in this journey. The legacy that my boxer bum prepared is overwhelming to me, as through her I have met so many other amazing pet owners who have shared their experiences, knowledge, and support as we all continue to learn more about natural, healthy ways to care for our pets. They have also, in this time of sadness, given me purpose to continue to learn and grow in my knowledge and have inspired me to continue to reach out and help others. This legacy that Socks has left has changed me forever, and I find myself in awe of how one of God's little creatures could have given so much in such a short time with us. My advice to each of you is

to get out there and experience the world through the unconditional love and wonder that our pets bring into our lives. Celebrate and share these moments, not only with your family members but also with friends and even strangers. For by doing this, I know I have become a better wife, mother, and person who is more aware of how my actions and reactions affect others. Where this final road takes me I'm not totally sure, but I do know that my desire to learn and educate others on how to enjoy their time with their four-legged ?ones? will not fade away. I also know that somewhere around one of the bends in this road there is another wiggle butt who will come into my life and take me even further than where I am right now. But until that time comes, I am celebrating the wonder and joy of just how much this precious little Boxer taught me.

-By Alison Peloquin

Socks out on a walk, making new friends. Photo credit: Alison Peloquin