Paws & Reflect

14/04/2019

20/02/2019

I've been writing some informational posts for a while without any interaction. What do YOU want to see here? Or, do you have any questions about animal communication, or some wholistic approaches to healthy animals? Here are some random animal pictures for your enjoyment.

06/02/2019

This week, Facebook is allowing me to post to my own page. So, there is a new post below. To your pets' good health!

06/02/2019

Which of these pictures most closely resembles your dog's mouth? Did you know that the starches in kibble eventually may produce picture number 2? Hard, crunchy, starchy food does NOT help to clean your pets' teeth, unlike some misleading advertising.

Dental cleanings are approached as a "routine" procedure at most veterinary hospitals. It is most often done under anesthesia, a very big event in the health of a dog or cat. In my opinion, professional dental cleanings should be necessary only very rarely, usually not in the animal's lifetime. Professional dental care issues should be relegated to those created by some accident, such as a broken tooth, & not be a routine part of wellness care at a veterinary hospital.

In my life as a holistic animal consultant, I've seen some of my clients' pets go back to #1 from something approaching #2 in three weeks or less after being switched to a raw diet!

Here's another reason to switch your carnivore pet to raw! I hope you'll do it for their health.

31/01/2019

Environment Canada has issued an extreme cold warning now thru to Friday. Please keep your animals and yourself safe!

12/01/2019

Credit to Puppy Culture

03/01/2019

Heimlich maneuver for dogs & cats & other animals. Remember to scale your force for size of animal.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yiQ_I5DU1M

http://www.theonlinevet.com/newsletter.php What To Do if your dog is choking. Dog choking sounds, dog choking First Aid, How to do dog heimlich.

10/12/2018

How many of you have switched your pet carnivores to a raw diet? I’d like to hear how it’s going. If you want personal guidance about this, or a myriad of other ways to keep your pets healthy, or to have any kind of telepathic talk with your animals, contact me at [email protected] .

Dr Falconer would also love to have you join his “Vital Animal Pack” at the link below.
Reprinted from Vital Animal News by Will Falconer, DVM

https://vitalanimal.com
Why you'll never meet a diabetic lion (in the wild)

First and foremost, you need to know this:

Diabetes is 100% a management problem. Feeding the wrong foods creates it.

All we need do is reflect on the "wild cousins" to understand this.

Would you ever find a diabetic wolf? Lion? Bobcat? Dingo?

Of course not.

Now, consider this: would any of those species eat anything even somewhat similar to dry dog or cat food?

Absolutely not, right?

They have survived on the planet for millennia by eating what Mother Nature intended these predators to eat: prey.

Big Pet Food would love to sell you on the idea that inside that brightly colored bag of kibble are ingredients that are pure and wholesome and real meat-based.

You've got to be smarter than they if you're going to avoid diabetes.

We're talking carbs now

In order to get meat, even that God-awful toxic stuff called byproducts (check your labels…) to stick together into a dry chunk, the manufacturers depend on starch of some sort.

Usually, that's grains like wheat, rice, corn, etc.

Sticky stuff.

And starch is made of what, exactly?

Sugar molecules, hooked up into longer chains.

Even the groovy marketing goodness of "grain free" kibbles need some kind of starch, or the kibble won't hang together in those familiar chunks that go "tink, tink, clunk, rumble" when you pour them into Fifi's bowl.

Starches in grain free brands are starches none the less. Tapioca, sweet potatoes, potatoes, peas, etc.

And what do carbs do for carnivores?

They trigger the pancreas, over and over again, to secrete insulin. Way beyond what ever happens in the wild cousins.

What follows is obesity, insulin resistance, and finally, diabetes.

And then, you're in the downward spiral of Dr. WhiteCoat finding the "cure" that never cures: the "best" insulin dose that keeps the ever increasing blood sugar in balance.

Insulin merely palliates the diabetic. It doesn't cure them. They never leave its use.

You may have noticed.

Your diabetic pet doesn't achieve real health and freedom from drugs by taking insulin. It, like all drugs for any chronic disease (chronic = long lasting, like diabetes), cannot cure the disease.

The simple fix and preventative in one

This may surprise you, but cats I know have been cured of diabetes by just:

Getting. Them. Off. Kibble.

And on to raw balanced diets.

Dogs are a bit more challenging, and likely need some professional homeopathic help along with their diet change.

But they both need to ditch the kibble and get on balanced raw food.

Think more simply about this, with some help from this page.

If you're feeding a carnivore in pet form, you need to "feed the need."

Carnivores in the wild, close relatives of your pet carnivore, don't get diabetes.

And they never, ever eat kibble.

Food for thought, eh?

28/11/2018

This is a reprint of my PawsReflections Newsletter from 2012.

Pet Toy Safety
Guidelines for the Holidays

1. Buy American

Looking for the Made in the USA tag is going to be a New Year's Resolution for me, and not just pertaining to pet toys. However, I've discovered that sometimes this is impossible when looking for general merchandise. Unfortunately, depending on the item, often there is no equivalent homemade version.

But, in pet toys, there are more options. There are some good pet toys made in America. However, just because an item is made in the US, doesn't automatically make it safe.

There is an extensive list of American made pet toys here http://www.toysmadeinamerica.com/dogs.html Still, remember that it's your responsibility to investigate what the toys are made from before purchase.

2. Buy toys made specifically for pets.

I used to buy stuffed children's toys at a local flea market after ascertaining that they were stuffed with something safe. In the "old days", cotton material scraps seemed to be the frequent filler, but no longer. Kid's toys are made with a huge variety of "innards", and are rarely made with the idea that they'll be torn apart or ingested. Animals who are destructive are much more efficient about this goal than most children, I guess.

I also read a report which said that one in three childrens' toys tested by a Michigan non-profit group contained medium or high levels of toxic chemicals such as arsenic, lead, cadmium or other toxins. Kid toys are regulated; pet toys aren't, so you must be the regulating agency.

3. Soft toys

Buy toys made of natural substances such as cotton, cotton rope, or h**p.

junglelion
Know your animals. Is your dog one who loves to destroy? Does the toy have button-type eyes sewn on or lots of fluffy polyester cotton stuffing? Does your dog swallow plastic squeakers? Does your cat eat things that aren't food? If the answer is yes, then these toys are only for use when you are playing with her. Otherwise, it's the wrong toy for this animal.

Many soft toys contain squeakers. This is often what attracts the dog to the toy at all! However, some companies double sew the squeaks so they're hard to get to. If your dog wants to kill the toy to eat the squeaker, be sure you get the heavy duty toys, and then monitor until you're sure they can't be eaten.

4. Hard toys

Plastic, vinyl, painted, rubber...These require particular investigation. Plastic and vinyl are almost always toxic. Paint can be lead paint, and you have no way of knowing until your pet gets sick unless the packaging specifically says the coloring is non-toxic. Rubber toys, such as those from the Kong company, are apparently safe. But all rubber toys aren't created equal. If the toy smells bad to you, or you aren't familiar with the ethics of the company, these are best passed over.

White (bleached) rawhide, greenies, and other synthetic chews are bad news, in my opinion. Just say no.

5. Edible toys

There are many companies making chew products made to be consumed like "bully sticks". From safe sources, and for animals who don't just soften them, and then swallow them whole, these can be a good choice. However, dogs who eat a raw diet, and regularly consume bones, have less "need" to chew. When you give a RMB (raw meaty bone), it gives nutrition as well as exercise, and (sometimes) hours of enjoyment.

6. Resources

There are some online resources to help you make informed choices. Please note that I have NOT researched all these companies, and can’t tell you for sure that everything they sell is safe, especially for aggressive chewers. Do your *own* homework, and know your dog!

That said, here are a few places to look into.

Planet Dog http://www.planetdog.com/category.aspx?categoryID=30 says they specialize in non-toxic products.

PetSafe https://store.petsafe.net/toys/dog-toys?msclkid=1a1c4aea5f3011f087b9111484dbceca&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=1002-060000-1%20PS%20Toys&utm_term=petsafe%20toys&utm_content=PS%20Toys

VetStreet Making Safe & Effective Pet Toys at Home
http://www.vetstreet.com/our-pet-experts/making-safe-and-effective-pet-toys-at-home

And, another article on choosing safe pet toys https://thebark.com/content/choosing-safe-dog-toys

With these resources, you should be able to keep your animals entertained safely.

22/11/2018

A colourful reminder that Autumn is in the air

15/11/2018

"When you get the choice to sit it out or dance, I hope you DANCE!”
“When all else fails, turn up the music, and dance with your dog."

While I do want to keep addressing some of the myths surrounding raw feeding to carnivore pets, I thought it might be time to take a little break, and talk about a different topic. One of the activities my Whippet, Autumn, and I are involved in, is K9 Freestyle, so this weeks’s subject is about dancing with your dog/cat/ferret, or any animal you have, and want to train.

I use positive reinforcement training, particularly the one called clicker training. Most of my training is done totally off leash. Rewards are whatever your pet friend (and, for simplicity’s sake, I will now use the word “dog”) likes best. I’ve never had a canine partner who loved tug, playing, toys, or anything other than food, so that is what I use. I’m always on the hunt for treats I can tolerate in my own mouth. Keeping food in my mouth serves two purposes: keeping the dog’s attention focused on my face, and freeing up my hands for hand signals, and the clicker.

I started in freestyle with the first formal canine freestyle organization, which began in Canada in the early to mid 1990’s. I was a member of Musical Canine Sports International (MCSI). The Canadian group fizzled, and folded, but in the USA, freestyle gained a hold, and flourished.

There are now 3 main “clubs,” each with it’s own vision of how freestyle should be presented: Canine Freestyle Federation (CFF), Musical Dog Sport Association (MDSA), and World Canine Freestyle Organization (WCFO.) In addition, there are private organizations, and more starting up all the time.

For the last two years, I have found my vision coincides most with that of Judy Gamet at Dogs Can Dance dogscandance.com . Judy provides online classes, video titling events, and personal coaching via Skype. Autumn & I are progressing through her levels pursuing a Dogs Can Dance Freestyle Championship.

Uniquely, she has a “team”approach where a team can be comprised of the human, and multiple dogs. Prior to her passing last May, my Whippet, Pastel, was a team member. Here is her first DCD performance. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9NCF8Hdhg8&list=UUCRNT-SPXFRvk8empMEcJRw&index=33

I hope this opens a door for people looking for fun activities to do with dogs. And, I hope it helps to know that you don’t have to find a local class, group, or private coach, though if you live where such things exist, it adds another fun dimension to the sport.

Freestylers don’t have to compete for titles, either. Two of the groups I used to belong to did demos at pet fairs, nursing homes, and veterans’ facilities. Fun, and camaraderie…

The pictures accompanying this post are of Autumn in a couple of freestyle moves, and one of Autumn & Pastel posing on a training platform.

06/11/2018

Myth: Dogs aren't Wolves

It isn’t uncommon to hear people say that dogs have been domesticated for so long, eating cooked, and other “food” items, (commercial diets) that they are no longer adapted to their evolutionary foods.

It *is* true that dogs are a very adaptable species, but it isn’t true that eating sub-optimum foods is the way to achieve health. In other words, dogs (not so much with cats), can *get by* eating poorly, but it’s certainly not without consequences. Animals pay a huge health price for deviating from the diet they evolved to thrive on.

Here are some common reasons dogs & cats are taken to the vet.

Dogs:
Skin conditions (itching, pustules, hair loss, etc)
Ear infections
Vomiting
Diarrhea
Dental diseases

Cats:
Urinary tract diseases
Dental diseases
Thyroid conditions
Diarrhea or constipation
Vomiting

I am a Registered Veterinary Technician (retired), but for 14 years, I worked in veterinary hospitals, and saw the growth of these conditions over time in the populations. In the time between 1973 & 1987 I saw the reasons pet animals went to the vet change radically from acute traumas to chronic diseases. The two most prevalent reasons for these changes, in my opinion were poor diets, and increased vaccine schedules. Back then, diabetes was nearly unheard of in pets, and cancer was only an occasional condition. I don't have to tell you how things have changed.

In addition, dogs were formally classified as a sub species of the wolf in 1993. You can find this information in the publication Mammal Species of the World, A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference, edited by D.E.Wilson and D.A.M. Reeder, published by the Smithsonian Institution in association with the American Society of Mammalogists. This reference book is the final authority of the scientific community on mammal classification.

In other words, dogs *are* wolves. They may have changed to look differently from wolves, and to behave differently, but inside, they are wolves, and thrive best when fed appropriately to their carnivore ancestry.

A great article on this topic can be found at http://rawfed.com/myths/changed.html

31/10/2018

More raw feeding myths- Wolves eat the stomach contents of prey

We have already established that wolves are carnivores, and dogs are domestic wolves. Their outsides, and their behavior has been changed over years, maybe centuries, of deliberate breeding, but no one tried to change their INSIDES. In fact, even in my lifetime, many dogs were working dogs of some kind, and, as such, had access to live prey in the form of mostly small animals. Many cats still do.

We’ve talked extensively about the role vegetable matter does NOT figure into a carnivore diet, but people continue to counter with the argument that “wolves eat the whole animal, including the contents of their herbivorous prey’s stomach, so therefore we should feed vegetables to our dogs, cats & ferrets.” This is not what the wolf experts tell us, however.

Some years ago, I attended a weekend conference given by wolf expert L. David Mech, and I have also read his comprehensive book on wolves called Wolves: Behavior, Ecology, and Conservation, 2003. Here are two quotes from this book:

"Wolves usually tear into the body cavity of large prey and...consume the larger internal organs, such as lungs, heart, and liver. The large rumen [, which is one of the main stomach chambers in large ruminant herbivores,]...is usually punctured during removal and its contents spilled. The vegetation in the intestinal tract is of no interest to the wolves, but the stomach lining and intestinal wall are consumed, and their contents further strewn about the kill site.” p. 123

"To grow and maintain their own bodies, wolves need to ingest all the major parts of their herbivorous prey, except the plants in the digestive system." pg.124

If you are being held back from switching your domestic wolves to a raw diet because you feel you don’t know how to “balance” the diet with vegetables, stop worrying about it. They don’t need them.

If you are making vegetables for yourself, and your dog or cat wants some…go ahead and give them. No harm done when they are ingested in small amounts, but don’t think you MUST provide them, especially in any quantity.

BTW, I looked through 38 pages of stock photos online looking for a picture of vegetables with a red line through it. This was the only one I could find! So, if anyone finds a good one, please send it to me! :}

17/10/2018

Myths: Omnivore or Carnivore

For some reason, people get very emotional about whether dogs are carnivores or omnivores. They are comfortable knowing that cats are carnivores, in fact obligate ones (they *must* eat meat to be healthy,) but people polarize on one or the other side of the issue when it comes to dogs.

I stand in the carnivore camp, though I do admit that dogs are quite adaptable. They are willing to eat almost anything, and they seem to be able to stay alive, and even reproduce on less than optimum diets. However, the question is: Do we want the minimum for our canine family, or the optimum? If the latter, then your dog’s diet must be meat, bones, & organs. Herbs can be used when needed as “medicines,” but are not well digested as vegetable matter, and vegetables shouldn’t be relied on for optimal nutrition.

Why do I believe this? Here are three areas in the canine anatomy which show they evolved to be carnivorous.

1. Dentition

Their teeth, compared to humans (omnivores), bears (omnivores), or cows (herbivores), are sharp, and designed for tearing flesh, & shearing it off the bones. (Feldhamer, G.A. 1999. Mammology: Adaptation, diversity, and Ecology. McGraw-Hill. pg. 258.

Dogs tear off large chunks, or maybe do a couple of “crunches” on a large piece, and swallow it whole, relying on their very acidic stomachs to start the digestion process. They don’t have large, flat molars, designed to pulverize food in their mouths. If you’re interested, here is a dentition comparison between dogs & bears, both mammals, in Order Carnivora, but which have different digestive structures. http://rawfed.com/myths/rebuttal5.html

2. External anatomy

Dogs & cats have strong jaws, designed, as I said above, for pulling meat off bones or breaking the bones themselves, and swallowing large chunks. They also cannot move their jaws side to side. Watch the action of your dogs’ jaws vs that of a cow or horse. Much more information is in the book noted above.

3. Internal anatomy

Carnivores, including dogs, cats & ferrets (the most popular tope three carnivorous pet species) all have short digestive tracts compared to herbivores (very long), & omnivores (in between.)

First, they don’t produce salivary amylase, meaning that digestion starts in the stomach, not the mouth, as the other categories do. Second, the short digestive tract means that food passes through quickly. Vegetable matter needs time to ferment, and break down, helped by the enzyme cellulose. This is another enzyme that dogs don’t make in their bodies. Vegetables fed to carnivores would need to be pre-digested in some way to make them useful, so why feed something that requires more work, and is poorly absorbed?

There are a lot of myths surrounding the proper feeding of carnivore pets. We’ll be exploring them in the weeks to come.

11/10/2018

Veggies in Pets' Diets part 2

Supplements are anything that is fed in addition to the basic diet upon which the pet thrives. One supplement that *is* necessary to a raw diet is omega-3 fatty acids. I used to feed salmon oil, but in recent years, I’ve found that it goes rancid rather quickly, even when refrigerated. I now use krill oil from mercola.com .

Other foods found outside of a prey animal that might be acceptable to feed to a carnivore are bee products, eggs, or a species of algae called Aphanizomenon flos-aquae, a blue-green algae. All of these are whole foods which come from animal sources. I used to be a distributor of this item, but it became too expensive to keep up, even at a discount.

You will hear people recommend spirulina and chlorella, both considered "super foods" for humans. These are not appropriate for carnivores, however, because both have cell walls (ie, are plants), which are not digestible by carnivores. Also, both are 'farmed', that is, cultivated in large vats for market. When man tries to improve on Mother Nature, the result is usually deficient, in my opinion. For humans, look for quality in these products before you buy. For human use, I buy mine at the Health Ranger Store https://www.healthrangerstore.com/collections/supplements-2 .

By contrast, Aphanizomenon flos-aquae, is wild-crafted. It is also a sort of cross between a plant and a bacterium, and, as such, has no cell wall. Therefore, it is a whole food, useable by all kinds of digestive systems.

Dana Scott, publisher of Dogs Naturally Magazine dogsnaturallymagazine.com , recommends a phytoplankton called Phyto Synergy. I admire Dana, and her contribution to the health of dogs. I don’t know how a “phyto” (plant) product, can be optimum for carnivores. The jury is still out in my mind on this one. However, I present it to you as an alternative, mostly because there are not a lot of good choices out there which don’t turn rancid rather quickly, and because Dana says so.

Here is what Dana says about Phyto Synergy on their website. You can make your own decision.

"Did you know fish oil is a heat treated, processed food? Most fish oils are rancid before they hit the bottle and every time you open the bottle, the fat oxidizes more and more, creating inflammation ... which is probably why you're giving your dog fish oil in the first place!

Phytoplankton is the foundational source of nutrition for the ocean. Fish get all the omega-3s they need from it. These omega-3s are the same essential fatty acids your dog needs. The great thing is that by feeding your dog phytoplankton, you can avoid rancid fish oils, heavy metals, radiation, BPAs, mercury and other problems found in fish and fish oils.

The Phyto Synergy blend contains extraordinary amounts of Super Oxide Dismutase molecule, known as the “king of the antioxidants” and the “molecule of life."

Adored Beast Phytoplankton is grown sustainably on land and is environmentally ethical."

Most healthy animals eating species appropriate diet, and minimizing or eliminating environmental toxins, do not need supplements other than the omega-3 oil. But, should you decide you want to, remember the guideline: whole food from animal sources.

03/10/2018

Vegetable Matter in Our Pets' Diets?

It is important to tailor the right diet to the right species. When talking about vegetation in the diet, the answer will be 'yes' in regard to some animals and 'not so much' to others.

Do you have a rabbit or guinea pig? Then, you will be investing in vegetation as food. Dogs, cats and ferrets are common pets, and they are all carnivores. For them, I've elaborated in my comments below.

Hopefully some of you are already feeding a raw, carnivore appropriate diet to your pets. However, many people I talk to still get confused on this topic. This confusion is also enhanced by companies which make commercial raw “diets”. Either they don’t really understand about carnivore digestion, or it’s just cheaper to invest in vegetation than prey animals.

Wild carnivores eat whole animals.

For convenience sake, let's look at what makes up the body of a prey animal: fur or feathers (not eaten deliberately), meat (about 80%), bone (about 10%), and organs (about 10%).

With that definition, the only place where 'vegetation' or 'greens' can be found is in the stomach. Since stomach acid is extremely unpleasant to ingest, most carnivores shake the stomach to empty it of its contents, and then eat the stomach itself (green tripe.) The small amount of vegetation they would eat would be negligible, and not in the form of our domestic vegetables. Therefore, we have to conclude that deliberately feeding great amounts of vegetables to our pets is neither needed nor suggested.

“But, my dog *loves* carrots (or other vegetables) you mumble.” No problem, carnivores can still eat plants if they like them. There is undeniably a medicinal effect from herbal treatment in carnivores. Dogs’ ancestors have sought out healing herbs for millennia. But, this isn’t a source of *nutrition,* and shouldn’t be counted seriously as a part of the nutritional profile of the diet.