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by William Greenbaum,  aka love ya woof!

Pets Add to Our Lives

Ferndale, WA: Pets play a vital  role in our lives. Whether its a dog that makes you feel great around the Christmas tree or a cat curled up beside your elderly aunt, pets provide comfort and help us emotionally smile and live a life that is hopefully stress free. Indeed, dogs,  cats and horses, turtles, hamsters and goldfish, pets teach us about caring for something smaller than ourselves and also teach us about love and kindness. I think they say everything about us as a person and our approach to daily life. In fact research shows that pets provide ‘life lessons’ about love and caring and they improve our physical and emotional well being.

Pet Health Questions & Health Concerns

Since we share so much in common with pets we also by default share their health concerns. We get worried when they suffer from separation anxiety, allergies, cushings disease, ear infections, skin disorders, etc.  I’d say we ‘humanize’ them, feeling their pain and almost feeling their suffering. The close relationship is often so big and so profound that when one of our pets gets very very sick and then passes we grieve as much as if we had lost a true family member.

When our pets get sick or we have a health concern typically the first thing we do is call the vet. After all they are trusted and trained. In more acute health challenges veterinarians (as we see in allopathic traditional human medicine) prescribe drugs and typically what these drugs do is suppress the symptoms and so begins a very interesting dance – in that as the symptoms begin to aggravate and become worse stronger drugs are prescribed more frequently. The drugs attack the health disorder with side effects and they seem to cure cure the disorder only to have the heath disorder return with increased discomfort when the drugs are stopped.

Enter the era of alternative therapy, which according to research firm Packaged Facts has seen double digit growth at up 1.15 billion over last year(1). Alternative ‘holistic’ pet medicine is growing in popularity because it is filling a gap that traditional veterinary vmedicine cannot meet;  and as costs of traditional veterinary drugs and vet visits climbs more pet owners are turning to alternative healing modalities to help their companion animals with not only treatment but with prevention too.

In our company we say you can think about alternative healing modalities and preventative care such as homeopathy and herbal remedies and Bach flower essences — which work very well but not instantly. What seems to bug people about alternative medicine is that it doesn’t work instantly, but we say nothing in nature does. Its us humans that invented the idea of instant cure so this is carried into allopathic traditional medicine everywhere. Natural medicine takes time sometimes as much as 90 days and often the pet or even the patient feels terrible whilst on the medications – as an aside this is nothing to fear it is called medically ’sign of progress’ – meaning you often feel worse whilst your body adapts to heal itself on the road to recovery.

Avoid Low Grade Garden Variety Commercial Pet Food

To  our way of thinking the first thing you have to think about to help your pet is to avoid commercial pet food meaning those with high fat content or excessive grains or chemicals. Even then many pet foods lack essential vitamins, minerals, amino acids and essential fatty acids vital for your pet’s health. On the market today there are stunning new natural health diet supplements such as Nordic Naturals or Udo’s  Choice that are chaulk full of the nutrients and vitamins required for a normal diet – essentially they put back in what the processing and manufacturing of pets food leaves out.

In addition, natural pet health care products help with joint pain recovery, motion sickness, nerve calming, muscle relaxants, digestive health, skin and fur health and eye drops for clarity, oral health, weight control and bladder i.e. urinary health. Also available are natural shampoos and insect repellents for our pet’s comfort and health. We even have available to us, natural aromatherapy products to control unwanted order and enhance our pet’s emotional well being.

Happiness is Pets

Bottom line, we are grateful for the lessons that our pets have taught and continue to teach us. We can actively demonstrate our appreciation, respect and responsibility for our animal friends, by attending to their physical and, yes, emotional health by providing our pets with natural pet health care products that keep them safe, healthy, vibrant, and active. Our efforts are beyond obligation. Our caring for our pets is motivated by our gratitude and love.

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1. The natural and healthy pet food market has more than doubled since 2005, currently
sitting at $1.5 billion. According to market research firm Packaged Facts, the market is
expecting to hit $2.6 billion by 2014.

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Ferndale, WA: Pets with Salmonella infections may become lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever, or vomiting. Some pets may experience only a decreased appetite, fever, or abdominal pain. Infected, but otherwise healthy pets can be carriers and infect other animals or humans. If your pet has consumed any affected products and is experiencing any of these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian.

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Use Phytomucil Powder to Relieve Constipation

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All Pet Naturals Interviews Georgina Bradley from DogStars

by William Greenbaum, aka love ya woof!

Ferndale, WA. BILL: It is my pleasure to be here this morning with Georgina Bradley of  DogStars, which trains animals for roles in films such as 101 Dalmatians or television shows like Smallville. Welcome Georgina.

'Billy' the Cat in I Robot starring Will Smith

GEORGINA: Good morning Bill.  Thank you for inviting me.

BILL: I wanted to begin by asking you what is DogStars and how did you get into the business of training animals for movies?

GEORGINA: I have been in the business now for about 25 years training dogs and animals for film, print work, TV, press and commercials; and we have an obedience school where we offer courses and teach owners how to train their pets. I got into this career in my teens because I started as an assistant in a veterinary clinic and someone came in looking for help on a film set. So I worked on that one job, and then kept in touch with all the contacts I made and shortly found myself working more and more in the film industry training animals for different movies. Six years ago we started DogStars.

Bill: What’s it like working on films and working with marquee Hollywood actors such as Will Smith or Glenn Close?

101 Dalmatians

GEORGINA: There are two things that come to mind. I would say the bigger the star the more normal they are and every actor I’ve worked with has been so easy and we do prep time with them and they love the animals. I guess the other thing is that they are all shorter than they appear on camera except for Will Smith. They are all great. They  have first class work ethics because they have so much pressure on them. They show up on set and are 100% professional.

BILL: What was it like working with Will Smith?

GEORGINA: He’s awesome. We worked with him on the 2004 film I Robot. In the scene that we did, Will Smith is sitting in a room and his cat rubs up against him and then he picks it up and makes a dash through a collapsing building with smoke and explosions going on around him. There was lots of prep time involved – about three months for a 45 second scene, and just to do the shoot took about three weeks. He’s so easy going and he is just, well normal, friendly with everyone — the crew, other actors and all the stunt people.

BILL: Incredible. In films, what’s the difference between working with dogs or cats?

GEORGINA: Dogs are easier. Cats have attitude because they are more sensitive so training takes much longer and you can only get about 12 behaviors. For dogs, you generally get 6 to 20 behaviors depending on the dog. It goes way beyond sit/stay. In films we’re usually training  our animal talent for more complex behaviors taking into account new camera angles or any last minute changes the director may throw at us, so it takes much longer to prepare; in fact often many months of work before we go on set.  Once we’re on location, the animals need plenty of rest before they shoot and so we bring equipment and set up a kennel — an animal camp like a Green Room — where they can relax for about 12 hours and then get their make-up done. When we did I Robot we had stunt doubles meaning we had six cats playing one cat. I remember we trained 2  – 3 solid behaviors with each cat for that scene. The animals also do rehearsals, the whole thing just as if they were human actors.

BILL: Tell us about 101 Dalmatians. How did that come about? And what was working with Glenn Close like?

GEORGINA: I’m actually British so I have a Passport which made working in the UK possible. But going back before this, we worked on a Disney film that was shot in Vancouver, British Columbia in 1994 called Homeward Bound, and when we finished the producers asked us if we wanted to bid on the Dalmatians project and go to London and of course we said yes! It was fantastic working with Glenn Close. She is a consummate professional. We were over in the UK for about a year working. on that film. Since then we have worked on Air Buddies, X-Files, Cats and Dogs Part 2, and Marmaduke and then on television shows like Smallville and The Chris Isaak Show.

BILL: Tell us more about DogStars.

GEORGINA: We not only do animal training for film and television  but we also have obedience classes, workshops and we offer courses on puppy socialization, acting classes for dogs and behavior modification. We also have courses leading up to an elite training instructor level. Finally, we have a talent agency where we rent out animals for print photography and other special events. Its fun and our clients really love the results.

Georgina Bradley of DogStars

For more information about DogStars, visit their website and blog CLICK HERE. For puppy training classes call Georgina at 604-878-STAR or by email info@dogstars.ca.

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Announcement – New Reiki Practice for Animals Opens in Vancouver, BC

(effective January 23, 2010)

VANCOUVER, BC: Taymarah K. McAwe has opened a private practice offering Reiki treatments in the Vancouver (Delta) community. Sessions are available for both animal and human clients.

Reiki Master Taymarah K. McAwe opens new Practice in Vancouver, BC

Reiki is a gentle, non-invasive Japanese form of stress reduction and relaxation that promotes healing. It is an energetic healing that can yield powerful results. The word Reiki means “universal life-force” energy. This healing energy is channeled into the animal (or client) through the practitioner’s hands in order to ease pain, discomfort, stress and illness. This can be done as a hands-on treatment in person or at a distance. Reiki can be used with animals in a way that is comfortable to them so that they are in control of the session. Reiki works to ease the source of the illness and works for the highest good of the animal. In order to receive the full benefits of Reiki, it is suggested to follow a scheduled program of Reiki treatments. Reiki is wonderful to help with illnesses as well as a healing tool for prevention and health maintenance.

Reiki works in harmony with therapeutic methods such as homeopathy, aromatherapy, naturopathy, massage, acupuncture, nutritional therapy, reflexology, and chiropractic. The following examples are a few reasons why Reiki can be used for treatment; separation anxiety, stress (the transition to a new home environment), depression (the loss of a family member), behavioral difficulties, inflammation, poor circulation, pre-operative stress, complications from surgery, past and present trauma, injury, and for those whom are dying (and to their pet family or caregiver) to help promote a sense of peace.

Taymarah is a certified Reiki Master Practitioner & Teacher and a nurse. She is also  a graduate of the Dog Safe Canine First Aid and the Animal Communication workshop in Agoura Hills, California. To schedule an appointment with Taymarah, please telephone 604.590.5188 or send an email to taymarahk@angeluniverse.info.

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Part IV

As far as preventing infection you can use a natural antibiotic cream such as Goldenseal or an another alternative that works really well  is VIRAFUNGAL FIGHTER from allpetnaturals.com. Another ointment is Calendula cream which is a herbal based. Use tweezers for removing foreign objects or insect stings.

For irritation to the eye, use an eyewash to clean and soothe until you can take your pet into the veterinarian, and an eyewash that is safe is boric acid which needs to be diluted to half strength. In an emergency to flush out foreign material or irritants from the eye, a natural saline based contact lens solution can be used. You can use a rubber bulb syringe such as is used for babies. Eyebright tea or solution works really well for any kind of eye infection or irritation.

For shock or trauma Rescue Remedy is of great benefit. It can be safely used before visiting the vet or after any kind of injury. It will often revive animals that are in shock.  It has definitely saved many animals and is totally safe. Use four drops of the stock bottle to one once glass dropper bottle of spring water shaken up. It is best to make this up immediately before use, as the mixture will not keep too long. Two or three drops of  the mixture can be given into the mouth or onto the gums every five minutes until a response is seen. It can even be sprayed onto the skin or ears with a spray bottle and will still have a beneficial effect.

Another useful remedy that people should have in their First Aid Kit is a homeopathic one called Arnica, of which the potency can be 30 C or 6 C for first aid use. It is typically used for bruises and trauma to the body and helps healing after any kind of surgery or accident as well as helping with shock. It is available in pellets that can be dissolved in water and given by mouth. It works more on the physical body, while Rescue Remedy works more on the emotions.

For diarrhea a little Kaolin with Pectate is useful to give four times a day, and the dose depends on the size of your pet. The human brand is not recommended because it contains aspirin. Instead use a natural herbal remedy that contains Slippery Elm. The does of Slippery Elm is half a capsule twice a day for an average adult size cat.  fFr younger animals, a fourth of a capsule twice daily is better. For larger breed dogs one or two capsules twice a day. The best thing to do is mix the capsule powder with a little water to make it liquid and give it with a syringe. I would recommend taking any animal with diarrhea into the veterinarian to make sure it is nothing serious as they become dehydrated so quickly.

In closing first aid is called first aid for a reason and that’s because its a first measure so it is well worth having your veterinarian examine your pet to make double sure their is nothing else going on.

Be very careful about giving your  pet ANY TYPE OF HUMAN drug because the metabolisms are very different. Regular aspirin for example can be fatal to a cat. Always check with your vet.  Keep the emergency numbers close by and remain as calm as possible in a pet emergency.

Have fun with your pets, and I hope that none of you have to deal with any emergencies, but if you do I trust this article gives you some practical ideas to help you and your pets in a more natural and holistic way.

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Dr. Anna Maria Gardner, MA Vet.MB MRCVS is a holistic veterinarian based in Washington State and is certified in acupuncture and homeopathy. She lives in Spokane with her new husband as well as two dogs, three cats and a crazy parrot, all of whole have helped inspire her as a holistic vet. She runs an entirely house call and phone consultation practice. You can contact her by email or by phone.

drgardner@petsynergy.com or by phone at 1.360.796.3749

END

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Part III

For injuries bandages are useful.  You can bandage an injured foot or leg, or even an ear using tape to secure it in place – the idea is to stop the bleeding whilst on the way to the vet. For heavy bleeding, such as surface wounds from fighting or other accidents take come cotton and gauze squares and apply pressure for as long as you can to stop the bleeding. you can even improvise a tourniquet by tying pantyhose above the bleeding area, if it is on a leg,  and keep the pressure on for five minutes then release for one minute, unless it is still bleeding excessively.  At this point you should be on your way to the veterinarian or emergency clinic.

Bandages that are useful are gauze, some soft kind of padded bandage, as well as a conforming bandage, which you  can get at some good pet stores or your vet’s office. Please note that YOU MUST TAKE CAUTION! as any dog or cat, however, gentle, will BITE when they are in pain, so just do what you can without injury to yourself and get to the vet as soon as possible.

You will also need some blunt scissors to cut any bandages and tapes with it. Cotton swabs are useful for cleaning wounds, as is hydrogen peroxide. It is best to dilute the 3% hydrogen peroxide using one part of this to nine parts of water, the use this mixture to cleanse the wound. Bandages and swabs can be found at any pharmacy.

Part IV Next

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Part II

To take the temperature it is best to use some lubricating jelly which is applied to the end of the thermometer before it is inserted in the rectum. It is  also best to have someone firmly hold your cat or dog, for obvious reasons since the tube is usually made of glass.

Another useful things to have on hand is a heating pad. This is helpful  if there is any kind of shock, or low temperature, or for general sickness and debility as well. Get one that is designed for animals and make sure the electric wire  is covered and unavailable for chewing.  In an emergency how water bottles can be improvised using empty plastic bottles which are filled with hot but not boiling water.

Shock can be seen due to serious injury or medical problems such as acute diarrhea, hypoglycemia, blood loss, poisoning and many serious internal problems that might not be evident without x-rays or blood tests. If your pet shows any of these signs seek medical help  as soon as possible. In general the smaller the animal the more rapidly they will go into shock and the more urgent the medical attention is required. This applies especially to young kittens and puppies, who are very susceptible to chills as well as hypoglycemia.

The next useful thing to have is pediolyte, or another dehydration fluid. This is basically water and electrolytes and is essential if your animal is having diarrhea or any signs of shock such as low temperature, cold extremities, pale gums and weakness. You will need a syringe to administer the pediolyte and a five or ten cc syringe usually works well, you  can give one or two syringes of this into  the mouth every hour until they are looking better, depending on the size of the animal. To check for signs of dehydration is is best to take  the skin at the scruff of the neck and raise it up between your finger and thumb then let go. If it goes immediately back to normal they are not dehydrated. If it stays up a few seconds, then are starting to get dehydrated and need to be given oral rehydration fluids immediately as described above. another useful thing to start giving, especially to puppies and young animals of any type is a little honey and  water, or even glucose. The honey needs to dissolved in a little hot water then some cool water added to get it into a solution which  can be given with a syringe. Toy breeds, such as chihuahua’s are particularly prone to hypoglycemia and low blood sugar, especially as puppies, so this is well  worth doing in an emergency, when you are not exactly sure of the cause.

Part III – Coming Next

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January 2010, reproduced with permission.

FERNDALE: Every pet owner knows the importance of having a first aid kit around their house, but not everyone knows what should be in it or how to use it. This article is designed to give you some practical suggestions as to what sort of  things maybe useful and how  to  use them. When your pet is sick, or there is an accident or emergency it is  not always possible to get to the vet right away. There are some things that can be done with a basic first aid kit that can help your cat or dog or if serious increase the chance of survival.

The first thing to have on hand is a thermometer, and if your pet seems to be not eating, depressed, to have diarrhea, or any  respiratory symptoms then it is worth taking their temperature as soon as possible, to see if they have any sign of a fever, indicating an infection. Equally important to be aware of  is when  the temperature is too low.  This indicates that shock may be starting. For example if they are getting dehydrated, or losing blood somewhere, although there are many other causes too. The normal  temperature for  cats and dogs should be on average 101 to 102 degrees Fahrenheight.  Below 99 is too low, and a sign that the animal is too chilled or going into shock. And above 103 degrees is usually fever.

End of PART I

Here is our recommended First Aid Kit for Pets:

• Thermometer
• Lubricating Jelly
• Pediolyte
• Honey
• Syringes
• Heating Pad
• Hot Water Bottles
• Bandages
• Medical Tape
• Cotton Gauze Squares
• Cotton Swabs
• Bandage Scissors
• Tweezers
• Bulb Syringe
• Eyewash
• Eyebright Solution
• Hydrogen Peroxide
• Rubbing Alcohol
• GoldenSeal or  Calendula Lotion
• Rescue Remedy
• Arnica
• Kao-Pectate
• Slippery Elm

Also always have on hand …

1. Your local vets telephone number (2)Emergency clinic number (3) Numbers for the animal poison hotline  & poison control for pets (1.800.548.2423)

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Dr.  Gardner can be contacted at www.petsynergy.com.

PO Box 81 Brinnon
WA 98320
Phone Number is 360-SYNERGY(360-796-3749)

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FLOWER REMEDIES and essences have many and varied uses, but act mainly on the higher emotional levels. The body is affected very much by the emotions and the mind, and by healing at a deeper level flower remedies can shift illnesses, either alone, or more often in combination with other forms of treatment. For example, skin problems may manifest in animals during times of anxiety and stress, such as when a new pet or a human baby, enters the household. The physical symptoms may be due to jealousy, anger, resentment, loneliness or other emotions, but by careful questioning an idea of what may be going on can be determined and a remedy mixture made up to address the root cause of the problem. In the meantime the skin may also need to be treated, but the end results with addressing the issue at both these levels are much better than merely treating the skin alone.

Flower remedies can help a lot with behavioral problems in pets such as biting and aggression. It’s important to combine the remedy with training and behavior modification, and both these approaches are enhanced by the use of flower remedies. Fear, which is a common problem in animals, also can be helped by suitable remedies, and a combination of Rescue Remedy (or Tranquility Blend) and the fear remedies mentioned above will often help in situations such as fear of thunderstorms, or general lack of confidence. Animals that have been rescued or abused in the past often benefit wonderfully from the use of appropriate flower essences, and they can help to restore their confidence and build trust.

Rescue Remedy combined with the homeopathic remedy Aconite makes a wonderful calming essence that can be used on wild animals, and for rehabilitation, as mentioned above it works well on any kind of stress or fear situation and definitely helps with survival rate in these situations. A few drops of the combined essence on the gums or even onto the ear of the rescued animal will calm them down and make them easier to handle. It can even be sprayed onto the skin or ears with a spray bottle and will still have a beneficial effect. A dropper of the combination can be put in the daily water for rescued animals to help them withstand the stress of captivity, and make them more manageable.

Other problem pets such as animals that tend to wander away from home, cats that urinate and defecate all over the house, animals that suffer from separation anxiety can all benefit from flower remedies, and their problems can be improved. It depends on the situation, often if the change will be permanent, some problems are related to other animals in the household, such as territorial behavior, and this may persist as long as another cat is present. Nevertheless appropriate flower essences can help alleviate and resolve many of these situations, again combined most effectively with behavior modification and possible changes to the living environment.

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Dr. Anna-Marie Gardner

reprinted with permission by Dr. Anna Marie Gardner, MA Vet. MB MRCVS, Holistic Veterinarian

Adviser to allpetnaturals.com. Please visit her website at-

www.petsynergy.com

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