7 Keys to Healthy Animals

7 KEYS TO HAVING HEALTHY ANIMALS, PEOPLE & PLANET

Listen to an interview with master herbalist, environmentalist Greg Tilford where I talk about the perspective of focusing on the whole and give an easy 3 step method (HMDM) to decide which health building steps you want to implement.

1. Know the current level of health

Most health problems are the result of an underlying energy imbalance. As we cure animals of “disease”, we find that other things we thought were normal go away, so we can use these clues to know that animals are not healthy yet. Your goal is for your animal to have great energy, no doggy odor, no hairball vomiting, little shedding, a glowing coat and many more. Below is a complete list of these signs (Early Warning Signs of Illness). In young animals, these apparently “normal” problems may be the only indications to start exploring new options for lifestyle or treatment. Buy the Healthy Animal’s Journal so you can see how these early warning symptoms and obvious ill symptoms change over time.

2. Feed the best

What are the best diets for people or animals — the most processed or the freshest, most organic? The best ingredients should be the most consciously raised – local, organic vegetables, free ranging protein sources.

Dogs and cats have ripping and tearing teeth, bone crunching teeth, no digestive juices in the mouth, jaws that do not chew, a stomach full of acid where the food sits for 4-12 hours and a very short transit time in the intestines. Dogs and cats do not pull out a knife to de-bone their prey and do not pull out matches to light a fire to cook their meat and vegetables.

Therefore the best diet for dogs and cats is raw meat including raw bones, pureed raw and cooked vegetables and a few supplements (Calcium if no bones are eaten is critical). Grains are not good for most animals, but if there are none of the early warning signs (see below) and no illnesses, you can feed some grains, preferably the higher protein ones.

Start as young kittens and puppies or at whatever age you read this (Brighthaven a cat sanctuary switches 16 years old and older cats to raw meat diet and some have lived to 27 and 30, and now one to 35). Second best is same quality, but cooked.

Even grocery store quality meat and vegetables are much better than most processed foods. Processed foods are an effort for the food industry to use up its waste products except for a few companies with great motives (and even they sometimes get bad or inferior ingredients). Processed foods are also a problem for the environment – they are not sustainable.

Many dogs and cats need probiotics, especially if fed processed, dead foods. My current favorite is Mitomax. I have had many animals’ minor health problems clear up while using this. Unlike other probiotics, it is very stable and is ok at the low stomach pH. Click the link on my home page.

Every animal needs and wants a different combination of foods and supplements at different times in their lives depending on different stressors and health challenges, just as we do. With any food, observe each of your animals for the effect that food has on them and change if decreased energy or poor coat or other Early Warning Signs.

You can now buy many commercial raw meat diets. You must research them as well. Ask where the ingredients are raised? Are chemicals used? Are the chickens, beef, pork, etc raised in humane ways, out in the sun to get the Vitamin D in the meat, etc?

NEVER feed DRY food to cats – even as treats. It causes most cats to drink more water resulting in stress to the kidneys and also can trigger bladder problems in cats.

3. Avoid toxins, including vaccines

In my opinion, vaccines (many full of toxic metals) have caused more harm to animals than anything else we have done. Do you get measles, mumps and polio vaccines every year of your life? Researchers in conventional veterinary medicine agree that we vaccinate too often, in too many combinations, and that this level of vaccination, while preventing epidemics, is harmful to the health of susceptible animals.

On-going studies show that antibodies are high 10 and 16 years later for dog and cat distemper and dog Parvo so I recommend natural immunity with slow exposure, or just a few baby shots and no more. It is best to already have a homeopathic vet on call in case any symptoms appear. While Rabies is also a viral disease, you must follow the law and vaccinate every 3 years.

To help prevent damage from the required Rabies vaccine, or any others that are accidentally given, do the following.

First, learn Reiki and hold the vaccine syringe in your hand until the “draw” is gone, then Reiki the injection site once you are in car, then Reiki the whole animal daily until they do not “draw”. If you have not yet learned Reiki, use the contacts below to have it done for your animal after the vaccine.
For two weeks before and two weeks after, give the totally safe Vaccine Detox, a flower essence from Spirit Essences -get a discount here.
Give triple the dose of calcium (or add some calcium) for 3 days before and 5 days after the vaccines. Dr. Peck is finding a drop in calcium at vaccination time.
Then use the Early Warning signs, below, to see if further holistic treatment is needed if any of them appear or worsen.

A wonderful list serve on vaccines, their harm and alternatives is at yahoo groups. To register, go to http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/novaxk9s/ or email novaxk9s-subscribe@yahoogroups.com A great web site about adverse reactions is worth a visit.

The AVMA, veterinary colleges, AAHA, FPA and other leaders say 3 years is the best for all other vaccines, so certainly do not do yearly for anything (unless there is a Leptospirosis outbreak in your area, then email me for guidance).

Please do not let the need to put your dog in a kennel force you to poison your dog with extra vaccines unless it is an emergency. The insert in vaccine packages says “Give only to healthy animals”, so if your animal is ill in any way, or undergoing treatment, they should not be vaccinated. Vaccinated animals often develop many chronic conditions including diabetes, cushings disease, addisons, allergies and even cancer.

If your animal has any type of reaction to vaccines, please report it to the government agency.

4. Use the fewest chemicals, remembering that there are chemicals in vaccines.

Each animal is an individual and will respond differently to heartworm, flea and tick preventatives. Some are very sensitive to chemicals used in the yard or the house and in vaccines – they will become profoundly ill. Others will be triggered by these chemicals to just not have full health. Chemicals in foods can cause allergic type reactions, so again feeding a fresh diet from local ingredients will be best. Healthy yards have lots of weeds. House cleaners can be made from foods and microfibril cloths clean like a charm. Healthy animals never get fleas and ticks

5. Understand how animals become ill and how they heal.

First there is an energetic imbalance (they are just not right), then functional (the dog is itchy), then inflamed (skin is red, infected, swollen and hot) and finally tissue changes (thick, black skin). Results of any treatment can be no change, amelioration (current symptoms disappear with no other improvements, then return), suppression (current symptoms disappear and they become more ill) or a cure (everything about the animal to begins to improve, especially the overall energy level.)
Keeping a journal is critical to determine what treatments are helping problems to become less frequent and less severe. You can stand firm with what you feel is working even if your professional disagrees and change approaches when needed.

The Healthy Animal’s Journal (print version) and the Healthy Dog’s Journal (e-book) and the Healthy Cat’s Journal (e-book) make tracking these symptoms and recording the fun, sweet moments with your companion animal very easy.

6. Learn different healing approaches.

There are so many different ways to stimulate your healing that you never need to give up trying. Flower essences, essential oils, homeopathy, acupuncture, massage, Reiki and chiropractic are a few. Classes are found through your health food store, by phone or on-line. I teach many classes around the country and my web site lists classes taught by others as well.

7. Select the best healers for each animal’s health team.

Most people want a veterinarian (preferably integrative – see below) and an energy healer. You decide what needs to be tried next for your animal. When you realize the animal is not improving – seek different care. Use conventional veterinarians for diagnosis and emergency treatment, or if other methods are not working. Again, integrative veterinarians (see below) will be able to do both, and have the philosophical understanding of the vibrational causes of illness.

FIND A HEALER

I strongly recommend finding an integrative veterinarian with whom to work. This is a person trained in many different approaches, including using conventional drugs only when absolutely needed. Working with one can increase the chance that your cherished companion can live a long and healthy life after recovering from this current problem. There are good ones and great ones, and a few homeopathic veterinarians will consult by phone or email. Read my comments at the end on working with and selecting a holistic veterinarian.
You can go to the web sites for each type of holistic practice and use their referral list to find one near to you:

Acupuncture and Chinese medicine: International Association & Chi Institute
Homeopathic veterinarians (these can often help you by phone or email if no other holistic practitioners are nearby that you like): The Academy of Veterinary Homeopathy and Dr. Pitcairn’s training program graduates.
Chiropractors (these could be veterinarians or chiropractors – both trained for animal chiropractic.
Wide range of other treatments: American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association

EARLY WARNING SIGNS OF ILLNESS FOR DOGS AND CATS

Is your companion really healthy?
Can you tell if the treatment you selected is deeply curing?
Can your companion be healthier than you realize?

Most health problems are the result of an underlying energy imbalance, made worse from poor diet and vaccination. They are rarely acute diseases (except injuries). Therefore, you may find that the problem does not clear up as you expect or it recurs.

If so, you are dealing with an underlying predisposition to illness, and these clues to underlying ill health will help you select a remedy and monitor the results. As we cure animals of “disease”, we find that certain other “NORMAL” things go away, too. Do not be satisfied until most of the following symptoms are gone. In young, apparently healthy animals, these apparently “normal” problems may be the only indications to start treatment.

This is only the beginning of a list – as more animals are cured we will find new levels of health. Tracking these is easy when you use the Healthy Animal’s Journal by Dr. Christina Chambreau (www.HealthyAnimalsJournal.com)

SKIN:

Doggy smell; attracts fleas a lot; dry, oily, lack-luster coat; excessive shedding; not grooming, ear problems – waxy, oily, itchy, recurrent mites; eye discharge, tearing, or matter in corner of eyes; raised third eyelid; spots appearing on iris; “freckles” appearing on face; whiskers falling out; fragile, thickened, distorted claws that are painful or sensitive to trim.

BEHAVIOR:

Fears(of loud noises, thunder, wind, people, animals, life); too timid; too rough or aggressive (even at play); too hard to train; barks too much and too long; suspicious nature; biting when petted too long; hysteria when restrained; clumsy; indolent; licking or sucking things or people too much; not using litter box or not covering stool.

DIGESTIVE:

Bad breath; tarter accumulation; loss of teeth; poor appetite; craving weird things (rubber bands, plastic, dirt, cat litter, paper, dogs eating dog or cat stools, rocks, sticks…); sensitivity to milk; thirst – a super healthy cat on non dry food will drink at most once a week; red gum line; vomiting often, even hairballs more than a few times a year; mucous on stools; tendency to diarrhea with least change of diet; obesity; anal gland problems; recurrent parasites.

MUSCULAR/SKELETAL:

Stiffness when getting up, early hip dysplasia; tires easily in hot or cold weather; can no longer jump up on counters, or go up or down steps.

TEMPERATURE:

Low grade fevers – Normal for healthy cats and dogs is 100-101.5.

AGE & REPRODUCTION:

Should live a long life (Shepherds 17 years, Danes 12, cats 24). should be able to conceive easily, deliver normally, and not pass on “genetic breed” problems.