Benefits of Activated Charcoal
Our favorite charcoal brand is Starwest Botanicals Activated Hardwood Charcoal & Bentonite Clay
If You Think Wellness Is Expensive, Try Illness: Getting You Healthy
Signs it might be time to look at what you feed:
Manufactured commercial dog foods, also known as kibble, are made with low quality inexpensive ingredients for the sole purpose of increasing profits. The ingredients are heavily processed and preserved to sustain a longer shelf life. Even the most expensive “hypoallergenic, grain free” kibble contains ingredients we can’t pronounce and doesn’t increase longevity or quality of life for our pets like the vets want us to think. Go look at the ingredients on the bag if you have it – if you can’t pronounce it, your pet shouldn’t be eating it.
We know – we tried every kibble on the market – the issues persisted. Real food worked.
Apoquel, Atopica, Prednisone, Cytopoint Meds are only a quick fix!
Many times, the issues still exist after you’ve been on them or just went off. You need to get to the root of the allergy to eliminate it!
Until you address the issues, the allergies will continue. We dealt with it for 7 years until we figured out the Common Sense Approach.
Common Sense Approach
Quercentin with Bromelain and HomeoPet Skin & Itch
Quercentin is natures’ Benadryl. Bromelain is an enzyme from pineapple and effective at reducing inflammation. Together they enhance each other’s anti-inflammatory actions. Bromelain helps with Quercetins’ absorption in the bloodstream.
Open capsule over food
Skin & Itch can be administered by placing a couple of drops in meals.
Hot Spots – AKA Moist Dermatitis
A hot spot is a spot on your pet that is red, oozing, smelly, painful and irritated. Usually found at the weakest spot such as side of face, neck, chest, hind or top of tail.
Many things could cause hot spots:
Hot spots spread fast, so it’s best to treat as soon as possible.
Suppression isn’t the answer! A traditional vet will tell you they need antibiotics and steroids. They don’t tell you medications don’t fix a compromised immune system.
So how do you treat them yourself?
Want to try some natural hot spot treatments?
Boil fresh Rosemary herbs, strain, cool and apply to clean hotspot with a cotton ball. Do this 3-5 times per day. The Rosemary acts as a natural antiseptic with healing properties, plus it’s an anti-fungal and anti-microbial.
– OR –
Mix 1 drop of Oil of Oregano and 1 tsp. of Coconut Oil (Virgin, Organic), store in an airtight container. This mixture can be saved for future use or multiplied to make an even larger batch, just make sure to use the same ratio. Anti-viral, anti-microbial, anti-parasitic, anti-fungal and good for dogs and cats. Credit: Rodney Habib and Planet Paws
The best way to treat chronic hot spots is to heal from within:
From a simple cyst in the paw at 8 months, to scratching at the ears, it was always a medication, one after another. Antibiotics, steroids, medicated creams, ointments, powders, Atopica, Apoquel, Cytopoint Allergy, Tramadol, Rimadyl, Gabapentin – it never ended.
I trusted my traditional vet, he knew my bulldog best and even had bulldogs of his own. I always asked, “If he was yours, what would you do?” Whatever he said, I trusted him.
Little did I know what all of these chemicals were doing to Tyson over time. Sure, they worked, but as soon as the meds stopped, the issues persisted and many times were worse! His body became resistant to the antibiotics. I settled for hearing “it’s a bulldog thing, get used to it, it’s in their genes.”
Allergy testing, yearly vaccines, experimental treatments – all to the tune of $30,000! Nothing worked.
What was the breaking point?
When his hot spots spread like wild fire, his fur was falling out in large clumps, his skin turned into areas of hard rock and when his paws had cysts in them.
It was do or die! Literally. Drastic measures had to be taken!
What we did…
Why are we telling you this? Because we don’t want another pet to suffer like Tyson did. But through it all, he survived.
While medication and vaccines are necessary, there is a time and place for everything. Look at other options; don’t rush for a quick fix, but a LIFELONG fix.
If you want to see change, you have to make change.
What is an Integrative Vet and how do they differ from a Conventional Vet?
An integrative vet uses the best of conventional and complimentary veterinary medicine. Conventional veterinary medicine can be defined as the use of traditional drugs and surgery when treating patients.
Conventional medicine looks at the body as being made up of various parts that, when sick, have nothing to do with the overall health of the animal. For example, a pet with skin allergies and joint problems is considered to have two separate problems, and may be referred to a dermatologist or orthopedic specialist, whereas a single holistic practitioner would evaluate and treat both conditions in the pet.
Pets treated conventionally also do NOT truly achieve a higher level of health, where they are stronger or less susceptible to future illness. Conventional medicine does often lead to quicker symptomatic relief; however, this sometimes comes with chronic health care price and/or necessity to keep animals on medication indefinitely, in order to prevent symptom relapse. This means repeated visits, more meds, and more issues.
Holistic veterinary care tends to look at the body as being sick as a whole, and attempts to restore health and balance on all levels of physical, mental and emotional wellbeing. Nutritional, environmental and toxic stresses are also evaluated as to their role in illness. Examples of holistic therapies include homeopathy, traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture, and chiropractic care. The goal of treatments are to cure the patient of disease, and make patients stronger and healthier and less susceptible to future illness, rather than having to continue treatment indefinitely.
What does all this gibberish mean? A conventional vet wants to do whatever it takes to keep you coming back. If they over vaccinate, you’ll be back with side effects. If they give you antibiotics, many times it’s not enough which means another appointment and more medications meaning more money!
A conventional vet will not tell you to feed raw, even though they know it’s biologically the best for them. Instead, they recommend kibble that many times they’re paid to promote! Have you ever watched Petfooled to see exactly how kibble is made? I’m sure it will change your mind about how and what you feed.
An integrative/holistic vet will treat your pet as a whole – they’ll get to the root of the issue and treat the whole being. They’ll use natural products, homeopathic remedies, Chinese herbs and a real diet along with safe practices for vaccinating without pressuring for yearly vaccines your pet really doesn’t need. They’ll titer when needed. They’ll test and medicate when reasonably necessary and not just because – the goal is to get your pet healthy and to keep them that way.
When Tyson got really sick and we finally figured out it was due to Prednisone Poisoning at the hands of his conventional “bulldog” vet and could have been prevented, we didn’t think twice about finding a new integrative/holistic vet. When we figured out that we were at the vet every 2 – 3 weeks for issue after issue, kibble after kibble, test after test, spending over $30,000 – not to mention them never advising on side effects of what could happen from over vaccinating, they knew we’d pay whatever to get Tyson healthy! They took advantage of that. Our mistake was that we trusted our “Bulldog vet.”
Want to know how to find an integrative vet in your area? Check out www.ahvma.org.
If you don’t change vets, at least ask more questions, know what they’re doing, research on your own and remember, you always have the right to say, “No” if you don’t agree with something or feel uncomfortable and get a second opinion if needed. Don’t settle!
Homeopathy – What is it and why should I consider it?
Homeopathy is a safe, gentle, and natural way of healing that works with your body to relieve symptoms, restore itself and improve overall health.
This applies for pets and humans alike.
We wouldn’t have believed it had it not worked for Tyson with detoxing from over vaccinating and Prednisone poisoning. Now we use it in lieu of traditional medications and only use traditional meds when absolutely necessary.
It has none of the side effects of traditional medications and is safe for small children, adults and pets.
It is used to treat acute illness like colds, coughs, ear infection, migraines and sore throats, as well as chronic conditions like asthma, depression, autism and arthritis.
TRUE STORY
I got food poisoning in March. It was like a hangover times 10. Nothing worked and I was miserable. Finally, at 3am, I searched the symptoms and found the remedy that matched. Took 1 dose and I was 100% better within 15-20 minutes. From there I was hooked – not only for Tyson, but also for myself. Arsenic Album, 3-5 pellets under the tongue were all it took!
But what is a remedy? A remedy is made up of plants, minerals and sometimes-animal product (ex. venom of snakes or ink from the cuttlefish). They come in many different forms and strengths. We use a remedy before, during and after a vaccine is given and we used it to detox from years of over vaccinating.
There are many homeopathy groups available on Facebook for both pets and adults! Reading materials are also available to familiarize yourself with homeopathy.
What is Golden Paste and why do my pets need it?
Golden Paste is exactly what it sounds like! Made up of Turmeric, Coconut Oil, Black Pepper, and Water (Cinnamon – see below for why, if necessary). It’s a powerful anti-inflammatory agent!
Benefits of Golden Paste:
Alternate Super Size Golden Paste Batch
Slowly warm the water on lowest heat. Mix Turmeric powder in with water until it gets thick. Mix the Coconut Oil (or Coconut Oil/broth mix) in and finally the pepper. Turn off the heat and continue to stir. Allow to cool, then transfer to containers to freeze.
Dosage Guidelines for Golden Paste
Start small – feeding too much can lead to soft stools!
Start off with ¼ tsp. to each meal. Ultimately, you’ll want to give ¼ to ½ tsp. for every 10 lbs. of body weight.
Start with ¼ tsp. to each meal. Every 5-7 days, increase dosage by a small amount. For healthy dogs, stick with the lower dose to prevent diarrhea. Some dogs will start to smell like cat urine – if this happens, add a dash of cinnamon to prevent. Most don’t even notice.
In Tyson’s case, we started doing this right away and continued throughout the year. An alternative is Curacel Curcumin, which is Golden Paste in pill format.
Please note: Turmeric is a natural blood thinner. Speak with your vet before adding to diet if on meds that thin the blood.
Garlic – Should You or Shouldn’t You?
Garlic has so many health benefits for pets and adults. Did you know it’s good internally as well as externally? We’ll get into the external later, but today’s topic is what it can do for you taken internally. If you followed our story, you know we took it from Day 1 of our Common Sense Approach to health.
Benefits of Garlic:
A traditional vet will tell you DON’T GIVE GARLIC. Why? Because they don’t want a healthy pet because then you won’t need them anymore!
Of course, garlic is lethal in large doses – that would be for pets and humans alike. We’re not saying to give large amounts. We’re saying to give within reason based on your pet’s weight.
1/8 clove 20 – 25 lbs.
1/4 clove 25 – 50 lbs.
3/4 clove 50 – 75 lbs.
1 clove 100+ lbs.
Tyson’s Tip
Start with a fresh clove of garlic, peel and trim ends. Mince, dice or shred over food (we preferred to shred in food). Fresh garlic is best! It’s best if you shred and allow to ferment in the food for approximately 10 minutes before serving or mixing.
Tyson’s Garlic Story
Tyson went cold turkey off all meds and we decided to give this a try. He started with a bacterial skin infection. At this time, the vet recommended high doses of antibiotic. His body was resistant to every type of antibiotic after being on them for so long. We decided to do garlic and did bi-monthly blood work to check his levels. After month 4, we noticed significant improvement in all his levels – this was a huge accomplishment for us because it signified health and wellness.
This is what we did and what worked for us. We give no guarantees as to individual success.
Did you know that garlic has been used for centuries in assisting with external issues of the body?
Garlic for Ear Infections
Mix 2 tbsp. of coconut oil in a saucepan on low heat with 2 fresh cloves of garlic. Simmer, then let cool slightly, not too warm, as it will be going in your pet’s ears. Use a dropper and place 2-3 drops in the affected ears. Do this 2-3 times per day for 5 days.
You can also dip a cotton ball in the solution to clean your dog’s ears, too!
If the infection persists, you may want to think of some other causes, such as poor diet, drugs and toxins, and over vaccination.