RECOMMENDED PRODUCTS FOR COMMON HEALTH ISSUES
Over the years. I’ve discovered many products that are very effective for our canine and feline friends. Tried and true, following is a list of remedies that work most effectively to help your friend recover from common imbalances.
To prevent illness or speed healing from any imbalance:
Of course, the place to start when resolving any imbalance is to switch to a whole food diet, if you haven’t already. Raw diets are often very healing for both dogs and cats. I also find that dehydrated and freeze dried foods are an excellent transition food that still qualify as a whole food diet, and still retain the nutrients that are missing from heat processed canned or dry food. Feeding a whole food diet is the most important step toward healing, well-being, longevity, and graceful aging.
The following foods are easy to prepare, economical, and incredibly healthy:
Only Natural Pet Easyraw – just add water or broth. Super easy and the 8 lb bag makes about 25 pounds of food. You could also add grains, such as oats, rice, buckwheat or quinoa to food for active dogs, or those who need the extra carbs.
Sojos Grain Free – just add water, and then your own protein – eggs, fish, meat. You can even add friendly grains and/or legumes. Wonderful food!
Sojos Complete – meat included, just add water.
Stella & Chewy’s Freeze Dried Dinners – Great 95% meat source for dogs! Fantastic for cats, too – just crumble 3 patties in a jar, cover with broth or water and allow 45 minutes (or overnight) to rehydrate. Add a raw egg yolk, some fish oil, and a tiny amount of powdered greens, and you have 2 or 3 days’ worth of food. Keep refrigerated once rehydrated. For dogs, add to friendly grains and vegetables, or use as a treat.
Ziwipeak Air-Dried Food is a nutrient-dense food for dogs or cats. Mix it with Sojos Grain Free food, or with your own vegetables. Great as a treat, or to use in rotate with other proteins. Ingredients in the Venison formula: Venison Meat (min 65%), Liver, Tripe, Heart and Kidney (min 19.5%); Chicory Syrup; Green-lipped and Blue Mussel* (min 4%); Hoki Fish Oil; Lecithin; Kelp; Vitamins and Minerals; Parsley. Naturally preserved with mixed tocopherols. Organ meat is so nutritious for our animal friends!
Other great products:
Dr. Harvey’s Power Patty – Freeze-dried tripe! Cats love these.
Dr. Harvey’s Multi-Vitamin
Halo Vitamin C
Only Natural Pet Immune Strengthener
Animal Essentials Plant Enzymes and Probiotics
Probiotics
Udos
Prozyme
Allergies of any kind – food, airborne, or environmental. Symptoms can include chronic or intermittent itching, ear infections, hot spots, paw licking, digestive disorders, eye inflammation, and irritability.
One of the most effective and simple ways to alleviate allergy symptoms is to eliminate all canned and dry foods, eliminate all processed treats, and switch to a whole food diet of meat, greens and vegetables. This alone can create healing and rebalancing for your dog or cat. It’s also important to include essential fatty acids and a whole-food source of vitamins and minerals in your friend’s daily food intake. Making sure your animal friend is getting all of their vitamins and minerals and feeding a whole food, species-appropriate diet will resolve many, if not most, allergy issues.
When allergy symptoms flare, the following remedies can be extremely helpful:
Only Natural Pet Immune Balance + Only Natural Pet Immune Strengthener
This combination may seem counterintuitive, but they really do work together. Effective for all types of allergies, and especially good for dogs with protein allergies, or autoimmune issues, the Immune Strengthener supplies needed nutrients so that the body can detoxify efficiently. The Immune Balance helps adjust and modify the body’s reaction to perceived allergens. This combination has been a life-saver in many cases of severe itching, ear infections, skin rashes, and other troublesome symptoms. While you work to discover the underlying cause of the allergy, these remedies can be used safely with no side effects other than improved health and well-being, and your animal friend will be able to enjoy life again. Add Halo X-Tra C for additional nutritional support.
LoveMyPet Skin Comfort
LoveMyPet products are wonderful!! The herbs in this formula offer liver support and detoxification assistance at a deep level – so often needed when allergy symptoms have been present over time. Also contains homeopathics to assist energetically.
Halo VitaGlo Xtra-C – Vitamin C with Bioflavonoids. When stressed or ill, or when allergies flare, Vitamin C is a powerful healing agent for our canine and feline friends. It’s a natural anti-inflammatory and, when given at therapeutic doses, can be very helpful in eliminating pain.
Kidney Disease:
During the dog food recall of 2005, Vetri-Science Renal Essentials for Dogs and Cats saved the lives of countless dogs and cats who had succumbed to the horrors of the dog food industry. This product has helped animals who were given a poor prognosis by adding years to their lives and greatly enhancing quality of life.
LoveMyPet Kidney Bladder Relief is another amazing product that works very well for cats and dogs, but especially for felines. The reviews are quite amazing in regard to the effectiveness of this product in helping felines diagnosed with kidney failure to recover substantially. Here is a typical customer review:
My wonderful cat, Tigger, thrived for another 1 1/2 yrs after we thought he was at his end from kidney failure. I also recomended this product to my sister when her cat was diagnosed with kidney failure and she is still thriving 1 yr later.
Ever wonder why kidney failure is so prevalent in our feline population? One word: dehydration. Mostly caused by dry food diets which are so unnatural for the digestive systems of our cats and kittens.
Cats are obligate carnivores. In the wild, they derive their energy and most of their required moisture from their prey. The feline digestive system – from the very specific dental structure to the types of enzymes their bodies produce – is designed to consume and digest high quality protein – NOT carbohydrates and crunchy, baked food. Cats must eat meat to survive. I highly recommend feeding raw meat, dehydrated or freeze dried foods, or lightly cooked whole food proteins. Stella & Chewy’s Freeze Dried Dinners are great for dogs and cats. Always rehydrate for cats.
Fleas, Ticks and Heartworm:
Squeeze on flea/tick/heartworm products are slow-release insecticides, dangerous not only to the dog or cat recipient, but also to the humans who come into contact with them. I once spoke with a woman whose dog slept under the covers with her. Once she started the squeeze on product on her dog, her own hair started falling out. The best advice I can give on this subject: switch to a whole food, species-appropriate diet, feed garlic and nutritional yeast, and use the Anibio Tic Clip. It lasts for 2 years, and is completely non-toxic. For heavily infested, wooded or moist areas where fleas and ticks flourish, you can double the protection for dogs by using Only Natural Pet Herbal Defense Spray. A safe dosage of garlic is 1 small clove of garlic per 40 pounds of body weight per day. I give my dog garlic intermittently – 3 or 4 times per week – infused in honey. It’s one of the best herbs for immune support.
For cats, please do not use products with essential oils. I have formulated a special hydrosol-based product to repel fleas and ticks for felines, Feline Flea & Tick Away, made with Lemon Verbena, Geranium and Lavender hydrosols (available soon). To us, a lovely fragrance – but one that insects simply do not like. These hydrosols have calming and balancing qualities, as well. Combine the use of these hydrosols with food grade diatomaceous earth sprinkled on and patted into bedding. Feed extra nutritional yeast, too. Kitty Greens & B’s is a wonderful formulation that cats crave – loaded with nutritional yeast!
Cancer:
All too often, animals are diagnosed with cancer. I believe this is due to poor diet, exposure to insecticides and lawn chemicals, overvaccination, and overmedication. Animals can and do recover at times, or at least regain a good quality of life with reduced pain by doing the following:
Feed a diet of high quality protein that includes greens, essential fatty acids and digestive enzymes. There are many herbal formulas that can be very effective in shrinking tumors and helping your dog or cat detoxify during the healing process. I have had success in shrinking fatty tumors with a violet leaf blend. I’ve read about dogs who recovered from cancer by drinking a quart of carrot juice every day. When animals are ill, they often know what their bodies need to heal!
Only Natural Pet BSST Herbal Formula – based on the Essiac formula, contains herbs for liver support. Designed to help strengthen the innate defense mechanisms of the body to support the immune system’s ability to fight pathogenic and system-degenerative ailments and to destroy abnormal cells, this formulation produces a synergistic effect that enhances each herb’s individual beneficial properties.
Only Natural Pet Immune Strengthener is a miraculous supplement that has helped many animals overcome a cancer diagnosis. Composed of medicinal mushrooms, vitamins, selenium, and some herbs, this formula supports the immune system from many directions.
Cushings Disease:
Native Remedies Cushex Drops promote adrenal and pituitary balance and health. Dandelion, Burdock and Astragalus support the liver, kidney, adrenal glands and immune system, while the homeopathics support the system energetically.
Musculoskeletal Instability:
For older dogs whose hips are becoming unstable, Seven Forests Liquidambar can be miraculous. Invigorates meridians and vessels, relieves inflammation. Use for back pain, disc problems (inflammation, extrusion), bone hyperplasia, and arthralgia affecting hips and/or spine. I’ve heard many amazing reports of dogs recovering who had been falling down becoming much more stable after a few days on this supplement.
Ingredients: Liquidambar, Pyrola, Geranium, Cibotium, Pterospermum, Photinia, Kadsura, Morus twig, Loranthus, Chuan-shan-long, Rehmannia, Myrrh, Carthamus, Persica, Achyranthes
Another little-known herb that can be super helpful for musculoskeletal issues is Solomon’s Seal. Tincture and tea will be available soon. This herb gave my big white shepherd, Ozzie, two years of improved mobility during his last years of life.
Also be sure to supplement with essential fatty acids and Halo VitaGlo Xtra-C as Vitamin C is the most important vitamin for repairing and rebuilding joints.
Dental Issues: Inflamed gums, Plaque buildup:
For dogs and cats, Petzlife Dental Spray is very effective – my dogs actually like it! To resolve issues like plaque buildup or inflamed gums, use twice a day between meals, or right before bedtime (away from food). To keep teeth clean, use two or three times a week. Another great product is Only Natural Pet All Smiles with Spilanthes, Baptisia and Echinacea – great ingredients for dental health!
Oz and Lily sharing some of their good energy…
Recommended Reading:
Belfield, Wendell O., and Martin Zucker. How to Have a Healthier Dog: The Benefits of Vitamins and Minerals for Your Dog’s Life Cycles. New York: New American Library, 1981. Print.
Goldstein, Martin. The Nature of Animal Healing. New York: Random House International, 2001. Print.
Kidd, Randy. Dr. Kidd’s Guide to Herbal Dog Care. Pownal: Storey, 2000. Print.
Lipman, Frank, and Stephanie Gunning. Total Renewal: 7 Key Steps to Resilience, Vitality, and Long-term Health. New York: Jeremy P. Tarcher/Putnam, 2003. Print.
Martin, Ann N. Food Pets Die For: Shocking Facts about Pet Food. Troutdale, Or.: NewSagePress, 2008. Print.
Pedersen, Mark. Nutritional Herbology: Including the Nutritional Profiles of 106 Commonly Used Herbs and Foods. Bountiful, Utah (P.O. Box 761, Bountiful 84010): Pedersen Pub., 1987. Print.
Pitcairn, Richard, and Susan Pitcairn.Dr. Pitcairn’s Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats. [S.l.]: Rodale P., U.S., 83:. Print.
Puotinen, C. J., The Encyclopedia of Natural Pet Care. Los Angeles: Keats Pub., 2000. Print.
Zucker, Martin. The Veterinarians’ Guide to Natural Remedies for Dogs: Safe and Effective Alternative Treatments and Healing Techniques from the Nation’s Top Holistic Veterinarians. New York: Three Rivers, 1999. Print.