All Pet Naturals Blog

Natural Treatment for Dog Allergies over Thanksgiving

by William Greenbaum, aka love ya woof

FERNDALE, WA – Well its the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, and people need to spend time with family so thinking too much is definitely not in the cards nor is a long-winded article that goes into tedious detail about dog allergies. Just Google ‘allergies’ on the net and thousands of references will come up that you can pursue, but in this article lets just go over the basics and cut to the chase. So if your pooch is suffering from allergies this Thanksgiving, what can you do? How can you use natural treatments and cut down on the symptoms? Easy.

Allergy Guide

FOOD

Change it. Many commercial pet foods are loaded with highly processes, inferior quality ingredients that appear because of the manufacturing process, as well as chemicals that may contribute to overall ill health or trigger allergic sensitivities. Switch to higher quality, more natural  food with few allergic offenders.

Eliminate processed treats (e.g. S’  nausage). Get rid of treats that contain gluten (e.g bread or biscuits made from wheat, barley or rye). You can serve food from the table as long as its not grapes or onions. Sauces, gravy made from mixes, processed food (i.e deli meat, processed cheese) should not be given to you dog. Fat or gristle from meat is not appropriate as a dog treat.

OMEGA -3s

Give ‘em. We have the top fish oil in the world, Nordic Naturals, that is loaded with Omega-3’s. Gel or Caps, your choice.  Nordic Naturals Fish oils have been shown to help  reduce the allergic inflammation affecting both the skin and the intestines by promoting the production of natural anti-inflammatory substances in the body.

Omega-3 Fish Oil from Nordic Naturals

HOTSPOTS

To help stop the scratch-itch cycle and soothe skin irritations,  apply a wet, warm black tea bag on the affected spot. The tannic acid in the tea bag has a soothing effect relieving the itch. Hold the bag to the skin for 4 – 5 minutes. Do this twice a day for a least 3 days. Following the tea bag treatment, apply  Aloe Vera either from an opened leaf or from a a purchased gel/ Aloe speeds the healing process. See our article on this uses of this herb.

Another get product that we carry that does double duty as both an anti-inflammatory and a Hotspot healer is our ViraFungal Fighter. Its wildly popular because it does such a great job on both problems. In case you want to check it out, visit this hyperlink. ViraFungal Fighter sells for $25.95 in our store.

EARS

Keep your dog’s allergies in check, clean their ears with water + vinegar (a 50:50 combination) or rubbing alcohol + vinegar (50:50). AllPetNaturals also carries a great product that can make your life much easier and cheaper too. Its called Animals’ Apawthecary Herbal Ear Rinse. Click this link, and the hyperlink will take you right to the page where you can order.  The cost is only $11. Its got great reviews and is used by many Holistic Veterinarians.

IN THE HOME

To keep pesky allergens in check. Do the following:

1. Don’t use scented laundry detergent when washing dogie blankets. Wash in hot water. Also don’t use fabric softener sheets when drying blankets.

2. Use glass or ceramic dog dishes, n ot plastic which gives of toxins that stimulate allergic reactions.

3. Dilute dog shampoos. Dilute Conditioners. Use about a squirt of each but dilute with one cup of water.

DIGESTIVE ENZYMES

Digestive Enzymes improve nutritional absorption, and reduce the allergenic load on the intestines and you dog. These should contain:  Protease (to break down protein), Lipase (to break down fats),  Amylase 9to break down carbohydrates), Cellulase (to break down plant fiber). A great example of this is our Organic Green Alternative product in our store,

Organic Green Alternative 300grams, only $24.95

or also Udo’s-Choice Pet Essentials for Dogs. These are super star products that work brilliantly to provide the body with a a full suite of digestive enzymes.

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References: Dr. Lea Stogdale, DVM, Diplomate ACVIM

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Virafungal Fighter for Pets Now Available for $19.95

I wanted to write about Virafungal Fighter and the two Amigos since we are having an amazing success with this product in our store. In fact as I write another two orders came in today, and from all places, Calgary, Alberta.

Virafungal Fighter is an all natural, organic anti-microbial support product — a very solid immune system booster  for your dog or cat, and for fighting infection. Its two key active ingredients (hence the Two Amigos) are grape seed extract and grapefruit seed extract and it is these special ingredients and their properties that give Virafungal Fighter its punch.

Grape seed extract is the best source of one of the most powerful bioflavonoids known as procyanidolic oligomers. Laboratory tests have found it to have natural anti-inflammatory, antihistamine and anti-mutagenic properties as well as the abilities to reduce allergic reactions and cholesterol levels. These phyto-chemicals exist in the skin of grapes, cherries and blueberries, but we find the greatest concentrations in grape seeds.

Our second Amigo is grapefruit seed extract which protects the body against bacterial and viral organisms as well as strains of fungus (including yeasts) and single cell and multi-celled parasites, without the dangers of standard antibiotics. While antibiotics have been proven effective, these antibiotics indiscriminately kill the pathogens as well as the normal flora in the bodycausing further illness.

Its is true that many products on the market contain these two amigos, but most of these are too bitter or too harsh to be used daily. The manufacturer of  Virafungal Fighter, Danielle L’Don, has not only forumlated a product with two of the most powerful natural sources of anti-inflammatory, antibiotic, antioxidant agents found in nature, but managed to make it palatable for pets.

Virafungal fighter isn’t overly bitter and with its flexibility of being applied as a topical or sub lingual (under the tongue) spray, taking advantage of grapefruit seed and grape seed extracts has never been so easy!

The human body has an innate ability to heal itself and even modern medicine is simply a means to further facilitate the body in this healing process as well as herbs or food.

Virafungal fighter is one such natural alternative. The formula is a unique and powerful broad-spectrum antimicrobial agent with the added power of the antioxidant benefits of potent bioflavonoid complexes, which our bodies can’t produce but are assimilated through food.

Here’s a handy Flea Fighter recipe

Put 12 drops of Orange essential oil in 1 bottle of Virafungal Fighter. Spray on coat of animal and brush in, 2-3 times daily until fleas are gone. Use 1-2 times per week as maintenance. For external use only, keep away from eyes. Shake bottle well before each use.

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reprinted with permission from Danielle L’Don Inc. August 12, 2009.

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Everybody’s talking about Univera these days, and for good reason. Some say its a wonderful herbal drink that promotes a better body balance and overall health. Others say its a multi-level marketing system with health benefits that are dubious.

I have friend who has asked to be a participant in Univera, and has given me some product to try, and because I’m a good guy I shelled out $260 CDN and bought the 24 3ml sample sizes and two 30 oz bottles of concentrate.

I have been using it and so far for about 15 days now and its hard to tell what’s happening inside my body. The thing is I already feel great and I am in good shape for a 54 year-old. I bike once per week, swim three times a week, and I go to a boot camp class, yoga and I run.  I think from a physical activity point of view I’m right up there so for me I can’t really see a difference. Am I missing something? At this stage I would welcome a call from the President of the company to solicit his views.

Be that as it may, I’m also big on herbs and alternative medicine and natural medicine so I’ve been looking at the label and so far so good. Univera has the right fuel. Let’s explore this a little more, and take a look at the herbal ingredients that make up the gas that accelerates Univera.

The first herb that shows up in the Univera tank is Aloe vera. This is undoubtedly good stuff. Aloe Vera is a kind of wunderkid herb. Its usually comes to us as a juice, and its healing properties are well known. It soothes and protects the body and speeds healing of injuries and is purported to have anti-tumor affects. It’s also a laxative that helps push things through the digestive track and urinary track. So in the Univera concentrate, Aloe Vera shows up as a derivative of the whole Aloe leaf in a measure of 51 mg per 30 fl ounces.

The next ingredient in the gas is Licorice. Now this is a cool herb. In our herbal tinctures at allpetnaturals.com Licorice shows up in our Spring Tonic, Phytomucil Tonic, our Liver Detox Blend and our Alfalfa / Yucca Blend and for good reason, the herb is excellent for hypoglycemia, liver detox, coughs and Addison’s disease. For pets its mostly used to fight or relieve constipation and gastrointestinal inflammation. In the Univera concentrate, Licorice root is present but the label doesn’t show how much is in the liquid mix. So I’m not sure what type of conclusion I can draw. However, since it is present I think we can safely say its a good thing.

The third herb used in the Univera concentrate is Ginkgo biloba. Everybody loves Ginkgo! Why? Because its one of natures’ best antioxidants. Its has anti-inflammatory properties, anti-clotting and prevents platelet aggregation that can lead to blockages of arteries. Its kind of right up there on the super list of herbs. In Univera it appears as an extract from the leaf (which is correct) in the amount of 10 mg.

That’s it for the herbs in the tank. I’m not sure what conclusions I can help draw from this mini review. What I think I can say with some authority is that Univera seems to have it right, herbaly speaking. If you could choose three herbs to round things out for a healthy diet supplement I would likely go with Ginkgo, Licorice root and Aloe vera myself. I will just have to keep drinking the concentrate and see what happens and report back in a few weeks time. One thing for us, I love this business so much I will never run out of gas! Namaste.

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by William Greenbaum, aka love ya woof!

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Ferndale, Washington, August 15, 2009. All Pet Naturals, the premier online web store for natural pet care remedies, products and supplies has won the exclusive online sales and distribution rights for Virafungal Fighter — the first all natural, organic anti-microbial support for cats, dogs and horses.

Virafungal Fighter  is a safe, organic anti-microbial that has had amazing sales success in health foods stores throughout California, and is now moving full steam into the  pet market.

William Greenbaum, president of All Pet Naturals‘ parent company Brilliant Health said, “we are thrilled and excited to be representing this amazing product online exclusively through our Webstore – www.allpetnaturals.com; which from the research and evidence we’ve read and studied, and testimonials from consumers that have used the product, Virafungal Fighter has proven to be a unique performer and we are pleased to be introducing it. The natural care companion animal market is growing and certainly we are all ready for an organic, effective pet anti-microbial.”

Virafungal Fighter has Grape Seed Extract and Grapefruit Seed Extracts, which contain bioflavoid complexes that are 20 times more potent than vitamin C and 50 times more potent than vitamin E as an antioxident. It has also been found to be anti-inflamatory, antiallergic, antihistamine, anticholesterol and antimutagenic. Virafungal fighter also provides powerful protection against 800 bacterial and viral organisms as well as 100 strains of fungus and a large number of single cell and multi-celled parasites.

The advantage of using organic natural Virafungal Fighter instead of prescription antibiotics is that ViraFungal Fighter doesn’t upset the natural balance of good bacteria in the intestines.

The product comes in a 2 oz spray bottle and normally sells for $22.95, but is on sale right now on the webstore at www.allpetnaturals.com for an introductory offer of only $19.95. Uses for Virafungal Fighter include -

• Skin problems caused by bacteria, even basic cuts and wounds.
• Helps fight tooth decay and gum disease, prevents free-radical damage to the lens and retina of the eye, and even treats glaucoma by protecting collagen structures in the eye.
• Helps relieve asthma and emphysema.
• Daily use helps to support brain function.

The ingredients in Virafungal Fighter are the most potent, antioxidant free radical deactivators ever discovered. They fight inflamation by binding to connective tissue of joints, preventing swelling, helping heal damaged tissue, and lessening pain.

Virafungal Fighter is manufactured in Irvine California by Danielle L’Don Natural Skin Care, Inc. All Pet Naturals is proud to represent this unique and exciting new product.

For more information: William Greenbaum\All Pet Naturals.com\ 778.238.7410 or via email at bill@allpetnaturals.com.

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By Greg Tilford, Herbalist
©2009 all rights reserved

Cedar, my Australian cattle dog has red, runny, eyes.  He itches too.  Probably because of a sudden rise in mold or pollen, an event that always follows a spring snowmelt.   Regardless, he’s suffering, and I need to do something.

The cat is sneezing again too— just like she does every spring.  Come to think of it, I’ve been waking up with sore, red eyes too— and I am sneezing a lot. Yep… hay fever season is upon us.

A large percentage of dogs, cats, and probably most other animals suffer, at least to some degree, from seasonal allergies— just like humans.   Airborne pollens and molds are probably the most common culprits, but the list of possibilities is practically endless.  Finding and removing the exact allergens that cause your pet’s misery can be virtually impossible. It doesn’t matter where you live either — with spring comes a plethora of potentially allergenic particles— particles that are everywhere—  in the wind, and in the water  dish.

So what to do?  A trip to the veterinarian may yield a prescription for an antihistamine or, if symptoms are severe, a corticosteroid drug.   Although either one can be effective toward shutting off the symptoms of seasonal allergy, neither will help correct the underlying immune system dysfunction that causes the problem.  And in the case of corticosteroid drugs (such as Prednisone) the side effects of extended use can be far worse than the allergy itself.

So, what to do?

First and foremost, clean up the diet.  If your purchasing choices are driven more by cost than by quality, chances are you are compounding the problem by throwing poor quality food ingredients into the mix.  You may even be feeding ingredients that are causing your pet’s allergy. Regardless, poor quality meat and grain byproducts, artificial flavorings and preservatives and things like soy protein may be compromising the natural immunity of your pet.  So make changes.  Buy good food—recipes that feature whole meats (“chicken”, beef”, “duck”, etc.)  and real vegetables as top line ingredients— not meat byproducts or cheap grain fillers.

Second but equally important: start supplementing your companion’s diet with fish and vegetable oils that are rich in Omega 3 fatty acids right now.  Omega 3 fatty acids are essential components in the animal body’s regulation of inflammatory response to any allergen that enters the body system. Without enough Omega 3 fatty acids in the diet, the body’s inflammatory response to an invading allergen cannot be properly regulated, making the whole problem much worse than it should be.  In my opinion, the best essential fatty acid supplements use fish oil as the primary ingredient— and the best fish oil is that which comes from the whole bodies of wild harvested cold water fish.  Avoid products that are made from farm raised salmon or other cultivated sources, as they might contain potentially carcinogenic contaminants, like PCBs, or residual amounts of antibiotics and growth hormones that are used to farm the fish.

Finally, to help alleviate some of the symptoms, you might want to try adding a few herbs to your pet’s daily regimen.  The following herbs are safe for dogs, cats, and most other mammals, and are all part of my favorite “Spring Tonic” tincture formula for hay fever.

NETTLE (Urtica spp.)
At the top of my list of anti-allergy success stories is nettle leaf.  Many people and their animals find symptomatic relief from daily use of this herb, especially when its use is commenced at the earliest onset of hay fever season.  One of the predominant theories of how nettle works is centered on the release of histamine.  Histamine is a protein produced by the body that contributes to the body’s inflammatory responses.  If histamine is released by the body too quickly or in too much abundance,  symptoms such as swelling, sneezing and coughing are more likely to occur.  Nettle’s chemistry includes an interesting assortment of proteins and histamine-like compounds that herbalists (like myself) believe may slow the body’s own release of histamine, thus lessening severity of allergy symptoms.

EYEBRIGHT (Euphrasia officianalis)
Herbalists have used eyebright herb for centuries to help relieve inflammation of upper respiratory mucus tissues.  Eyebright is also thought to help support and strengthen various liver functions, meaning that it helps with the body’s elimination of systemic waste that may otherwise compound the allergy scenario.

BURDOCK (Arctium lappa/minor)
Burdock has been used since ancient times as a safe, gentle liver tonic.  In both Western and Traditional Chinese Medicine (where it is known as “gobo”) burdock has been long regarded as a specific remedy for various forms of chronic dermatitis.  It is thought to work by supporting the liver in the elimination of protein byproducts and other metabolic waste that may otherwise cause allergic reactions if left in the body.   The idea: get the allergenic stuff out of the body before inflammation is triggered.

LICORICE ROOT (Glycyrrhiza glabra/uralensis)
I regard licorice root as perhaps the most broad-spectrum anti-inflammatory herb available.  In addition to strong liver-support attributes, this herb contains an assortment of phytosterol constituents that may serve to supplement the body’s natural production of cortisone; a hormone that serves to further slow and regulate the body’s inflammatory response.   It is also anti-tussive and expectorant, meaning that it will help make your pet’s coughs and sneezes less violent and more productive.

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