A few of the many web sites dedicated to natural care for animals include http://www.peteducation.com, http://www.animalsnaturally.com, http://www.shirleys-wellness-cafe.com, and http://www.crvetcenter.com.

See my Alternative Healing Modalities page for information about Veterinary Orthopedic Manipulation (VOM) therapy. This therapy can be helpful for a large number of health problems, from incontinence to hip dysplasia.

Consider subscribing to the Healthy Animals Update by Christina Chambreau, an internationally known homeopathic veterinarian, by writing to her at healthyanimals@aol.com.

Dr. Chambreau offers her services via telephone, to learn more see www.vetadviceline.com, and her website at www.healthyanimalsjournal.com.

Medical Issues Generally The www.dogaware.com website has extensive information about medical issues including IBD, colitis, diarrhea, skin problems, etc. She also has a page of links to just about anything you can think of. Worth checking out and bookmarking.  See Specific Conditions  -- she offers diet and supplement suggestions there for a number of issues.  There is also information about pre-and post-operative care including pain management. http://home.attbi.com/~mstraus/index.html Another site which discusses many health issues is http://www.marvistavet.com/html/the_pet_web_library.html

Interactions between Drugs and Herbs See http://www.holistic-online.com/Herbal-Med/hol_herb_med_reac_htm.

Autoimmune diseases http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CanineCushings-AutoimmuneCare/ Mission: To promote optimal health and well-being in our dogs, through a combination of wholesome nutrition, conventional medicine, alternative therapies and shared learning!

We're an international community of lay people and veterinary professionals with an interest in Canine Cushing's Disease and endocrine-immune imbalance due to cortisol abnormalities, and the relationship to other metabolic disorders and autoimmune or immune-mediated diseases (e.g. liver, kidney and heart disease, bladder stones, pancreatitis, IBS/IBD, Diabetes, Hypothyroidism, Alopecia X, allergies, cancer, seizures, SARDS, dry eye, etc.). Discussions focus on holistic concepts, the benefits of feeding home-prepared diets, and eliminating chronic stressors which can lead to excessive cortisol production. Other topics include: preventive care, alternative and integrative therapies, traditional medical treatments, prescription drugs, surgery, interpreting lab results, vaccines, recipes, and nutritional supplementation. Scientific studies, research articles, healthcare concepts, and physiology are also examined. We strive to present information that is current, factual and balanced. We offer a wide range of resources, including the support and experiences of other caregivers, the expertise of veterinarians, guest speakers, and an educational website. Come join us!

Arthritis (Spondylosis) An animal is considered senior typically when it reaches the last third of its life expectancy. An article about treating arthritis naturally can be found at http://www.altvetmed.com/pages/articles.html INFORMATION WORTH READING: www.dogaware.com/arthritis.html about treating arthritis naturally. Other suggestions include an eggcrate foam pad on top of a flat bed (such as a baby crib mattress for larger dogs). The foam helps distribute weight evenly and take pressure off joints. Exercise is important -- several shorter walks every day will help keep your pet limber and maintaining muscle tone. If your pet is overweight, this can also aggravate arthritis, so work on trimming the weight. For an excellent joint care supplement, which can definitely help with arthritis and circumvent the use of drugs, see Fresh Factors information at Supplements-Springtime. Acupuncture can be very helpful for arthritis, as can gold bead implants (done by an acupuncturist). For information about GBIs, see http://lochvale.freeservers.com/Durkes.html. To find an acupuncture veterinarian, go to the website of the American Academy of Veterinary Acupuncture, http://aava.org/. For the Gold Bead Implant Veterinary Directory, see http://www.danebytes.com/gold_bead_implants.htm.

On a chatlist someone recommended giving the liquid form of Yucca daily (1 drop per 10 lbs), that this herb is considered a natural "steroid". 

A client found Trixsyn, http://www.trixsyn.com/, very helpful for her dog's arthritis and mobility problems. She had to increase to double the recommended dose at first to see improvement, then worked with the company to back the dose down to normal.

Other suggestions and products: homeopathic remedies (work with a trained homeopathic veterinarian, see www.theavh.org for a directory), Peak Stride (a supplement, you'll have to search the internet for it), antioxidants, stress relief herbs, Nupro (search the internet), Longevity or Fresh Factors or Joint Health (by Springtime, Inc., www.springtimeinc.com, 800-521-3212), NuVet http://www.nuvet.com/default.asp.

A woman wrote: "I have had excellent results with the herb Boswellia (Solar Ray brand), also Pregnenalone, 30-60 mg a day to stabilize, then 30 a day. Also Elk Velvet antler from www.nebraskagoods.com. My dog went from dreading stairs to running up and down 3 flights several times a day!"

Other treatments to consider are acupuncture, TTouch (www.ttouch.com), massage, thermoblankets (see www.drapercaninetherapy.com) and magnetic therapy (see my Magnetic Therapy page and also www.stuckonyou.com).

Bloat  This is a very serious health issue which arises suddenly and can be deadly. This typically happens in deep chested breeds such as Weimaraners, Dobermans, Great Danes and the like. However, bloat can occur in any dog. Please see http://www.globalspan.net/bloat.htm, http://www.kifka.com/Elektrik/BloatFirstAid.htm, www.doglogic.com/bloatarndt.htm, and also my page on Bloat.

Cophrophagia (Poop Eating) See this topic on my Behaviors page.

Treating Diarrhea in Dogs See http://www.wellvet.com/diarrheadog.html. Slippery Elm is a great herb for soothing the stomach and gut. See http://www.alternative-healthzine.com/html/1100_2.html (the article has people dosages, you'll need to adjust for dogs - the human dose is for an average 150 lb. human so divide your dog's weight into that and treat accordingly).

Epilepsy and Seizures http://www.canine-seizures.freeservers.com/heartworm.htm Excellent website about canine epilepsy/seizures. Another site which has a ton of information is http://www.canine-epilepsy-guardian-angels.com/site_map.htm. See During a Seizure on the home page for a link to the page which talks about using an ice pack to stop seizures.

Acupuncture can be very helpful for epilepsy, as can gold bead implants (done by an acupuncturist). For information about GBIs, see http://lochvale.freeservers.com/Durkes.html. To find an acupuncture veterinarian, go to the website of the American Academy of Veterinary Acupuncture, http://aava.org/.

Christina Chambreau, a homeopathic veterinarian, writes "One reason we know that epilepsy is related to vaccinations is that many of the remedies that cure epilepsy are those known to counteract the harmful effects of vaccines. Nux Vomica is often helpful with epilepsy and it is a major remedy for problems from drugs or toxins." It would be well worth a visit to a homeopathic veterinarian to  help your pet with clearing the effects of prior vaccinations and to address the epilepsy as well.

There are many things that can cause or trigger seizures in dogs including eucalyptus (plants or essential oil), red food dyes, stress, vaccinations, cervical subluxations, thyroid imbalance, and more. For articles regarding seizures, see http://www.canine-epilepsy.com/, http://www.canine-epilepsy-guardian-angels.com/, http://www.purelypets.com/articles/epilepsyarticle.htm, http://oror.essortment.com/epilepsydogs_rhac.htm, http://www.redmarley.freeserve.co.uk/dogs/doglink.htm.

More sites and chatlists: http://www.canine-epilepsy.com/, http://www.canine-epilepsy-guardian-angels.com/, http://www.canine-epilepsy.net/, http://groups.yahoo.com/group/k9epileptics/, http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CHAFWU/.

Dr. Jean Dodds in California (www.hemopet.com) is a leading expert on seizure disorders in dogs. A woman wrote on a chatlist, "When one of my MinPins Katie had a seizure years ago, my vet was willing to work with Dr. Dodds to get an accurate diagnosis. He did the blood draw, I shipped it to California overnight mail. The savings were enormous, because I believe Dr. Dodds has a federal grant to study seizure disorders and her costs are subsidized. Should your dog have another seizure, first aid includes honey on the tongue; the sugar increase will help."

Dr. Earl Mindell (author of Earl Mindell's Nutrition & Health for Dogs) says the following in his book: "Most dogs that get seizures have a magnesium deficiency and/or low thyroid (hypothyroidism). . . . Under the supervision of a veterinarian you should be able to significantly cut down on seizure medication by adding magnesium supplements to your dog's diet . . . Go to "bowel tolerance" (gradually increase dosage until the dog experiences diarrhea or gas) and then cut back until the diarrhea stops. Start with: small dogs 10 mg., medium dogs 20 mg, large dogs 50 mg, and giant dogs 75 mg. A simple blood test can tell you if your dog has hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid) or hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid). Ask your veterinarian for the natural, rather than synthetic, thyroid supplements such as Armour (also called desiccated thyroid or USP thyroid), and be sure your dog is getting her daily dose of selenium. Selenium works with the thyroid hormone, enabling it to work more efficiently." He recommends that small dogs be given 25 mcg per day and medium, large and giant dogs 50 mcg daily. He states in another section, "Magnesium needs calcium to be properly absorbed, so buy magnesium in combination with calcium in the chelated forms of magnesium glycinate, magnesium citrate, or magnesium gluconate. Make sure your dog's multivitamin-mineral supplement includes magnesium at the following daily doses: small and medium dogs 50 mg, and large and giant dogs 100 mg."

http://www.canine-epilepsy-guardian-angels.com/default.htm See this site for much helpful information.

One woman on a chatlist I'm a member of wrote that she used the following supplements to stop her dog's seizures: "We started her first on a premium quality diet with beef protein (neutral in chinese medicine to relieve some of the internal heat associated with seizing, turkey would be a great choice also as it is cooling), then added L-Phenylalanine. This helps to decrease seizure activity. She is also on yucca which acts as a natural steroid to relieve inflammation, including in the brain, a calming combination including valerian, antioxidants, L-tryptophan, and gotu kola. Of course all dogs are individual, but this has helped her. We also removed all chemicals from our house and she no longer receives vaccines. Since seizures can come from so many causes--or no discernible cause at all--I feel it's important to lessen her exposure to any potential toxin and keep her system as boosted up as possible. The seizures have stopped. During seizures, we found that very gently rubbing her eyes while they were closed helped her come out of it faster. Others have said this works well for them also. I have also heard of acupuncture in correlation with Chinese herbal therapy is helpful. Additionally, homeopathy has helped many dogs right the underlying imbalance that is causing the seizure."

More suggestions: Gregory L. Tilford and Mary Wulff-Tilford's book "(All You Ever Wanted to Know about) Herbs for Pets" suggest Essential Fatty Acids, 100-300 mgs betaine HCL, 50-500 mg dimethylglycine, 200-1000 mg taurine, 10-200 mg proanthocyanidin complex, a "ketogenic diet", and the herbs skullcap, valerian and oatstraw in equal portions. Lemon balm, ginkgo, rosemary, hop, passionflower, kava kava are all mentioned, as are the Bach flower remedies Vervain or Chestnut Bud. Please either get the book so you know what to do, or work with a trained herbalist in coming up with the proper herbal blend for your dog or cat.

Dr. Shawn Messonier DVM, in "Natural Health Bible for Cats & Dogs" also mentions choline/lecithin, vitamin A, selenium, DMG and magnesium as helpful for balancing the body and brain.

One woman found that the chemicals in her dog's flea and tick collar was causing the seizures, so that's something else to consider.

Hip Dysplasia An article which discusses the true causes for this disease, http://www.filadog.com/The%20Error%20of%20the%20Millenium%20in%20Veterinary%20Medicine.htm. Acupuncture can be very helpful for hip dysplasia, as can gold bead implants (done by an acupuncturist). For information about GBIs, see http://lochvale.freeservers.com/Durkes.html. To find an acupuncture veterinarian, go to the website of the American Academy of Veterinary Acupuncture, http://aava.org/. For the Gold Bead Implant Veterinary Directory, see http://www.danebytes.com/gold_bead_implants.htm.

Irritable Bowel Disease/Inflammatory Bowel Disease Besides the information found at the links under Medical Issues Generally, above, and in the first sentence on this page, see also http://www.purelypets.com/articles/irritablebowel.htm

Kidney Disease (Renal Failure) http://www.geocities.com/HotSprings/Falls/9065/ has information about renal failure in dogs. http://www.dogaware.com/kidney.html has information about how to feed older dogs who are suffering from kidney disease. Dr. Donald R. Strombeck has a fabulous book about canine and feline natural diets for all sorts of health conditions, Home-Prepared Dog and Cat Diets: The Healthful Alternative. You'll find numerous feline diet recipes at http://www.ameritech.net/users/critterz/crf_recipes.htm,  For cats, see also the Chronic Renal Failure website, http://www.felinecrf.com/. For a site which contains many links to other sites, see http://vetsites.vin.com/Kidney/KMJkid.html.  Also, see the Kidney chatgroup on Yahoo Groups, K9KIDNEYS-owner@yahoogroups.com.  I've been told that one of the best ways to treat chronic renal failure (CRF) is with supplements, natural diet, and subcutaneous fluids, and the chatgroup can help you with that.

In the past it was thought that too much protein in the diet could exacerbate kidney disease. It has now been found that it's the phosphorus contained in the protein that's the problem. For an excellent article, see http://b-naturals.com/Apr2003.php.

Pet Medicine Chest offers two products, Renal Kleanse and Renaleze, which might be worth checking out.

Liver Disease See Dr. Donald R. Strombeck's book under Kidney Disease, above. See also the book Hope for Healing Liver Disease In Your Dog. This is the only book which extensively discusses the treatment of canine liver disease and the use of a natural diet and specific supplementation to combat this devastating disease. The author, Cyndi Smasal, created a free Preview that has the first 18 pages so you can get a better idea of what's in the book.  Click here to view the Preview. (It's a pdf file so you need Acrobat Reader to view it.  If you don't have Acrobat Reader, click here to download and install it.)

Here are just a few of the things you will discover:

• Why liver disease is usually well advanced before any symptoms are noticed.

• The food and supplements that protect, reverse and heal liver damage.

• How to create your own homemade dog food recipes that are just right for your dog.

• The miracle diet that inspired this book.

• How to care for your sick dog.

• How to treat liver related illnesses that might come up.

• What symptoms to watch out for.

• Information you need to know about Liver Disease and Cirrhosis.

• How your dog communicates symptoms.

• 4 Healthy Homemade Dog Food Recipes that you can use to help your dog live longer.

• And more... 

As Ms. Smasal states, this book is by no means the answer to all of your dog’s needs, but it's a great resource for you and a qualified veterinarian. To order, visit my Books-Health Issues page near the bottom.

For an excellent site which discusses treating liver failure naturally, see http://www.dogaware.com/specific.html

Lyme Disease http://www.marvistavet.com/html/babesia_infection_in_dogs.html

Reverse Sneezing in Dogs http://www.paw-rescue.org/PAW/PETTIPS/DogTip_ReverseSneezing.html

Seizure See Epilepsy, above.

GROOMING PRODUCTS! Furfection, Inc. Pamela Madden is the owner of Furfection, Inc., maker of Furfection Naturals pet grooming products. Her shampoos and conditioner are sold only through her website, along with other unique items for pets and their owners. I was especially pleased with the quality of these natural grooming products for cats and dogs, and Pamela did a ton of research and worked with a veterinarian to make sure her products were safe, contained soothing ingredients, and were beneficial to the pet's skin and coat. She had people use the products and give her feedback before she offered them to the public, so you know they're pet-safe and owner approved! Visit www.furfection.com or call 650-625-0607. Read the transcript of my Animal Corner interview of her at http://www.furfection.com/pages.php?pageid=41.

FEED A QUALITY FOOD! I can't stress this enough, honest!! What you put into your animal directly impacts their health. For an article which details the dangers of commercial pet food and their so called "healthy" ingredients, see http://www.sniksnak.com/ac/petfood2.html. For information about quality foods, see Kibbles and Treats.

CLEAN WITH NATURAL PRODUCTS! See www.88stink.com or www.odorzout.com for OdorzOut, an all natural odor remover. See www.folex.net to read about Folex, a non-toxic stain cleaning product.

USE A SAFE HARNESS ON YOUR DOG OR CAT! BUDDY BELT is a humane, comfortable harness designed to eliminate the stress on your pet’s neck. BUDDY BELT is strong, secure, durable, and easy to use. To ensure durability and comfort, each BUDDY BELT is handcrafted from 100% soft, double-layered leather and quality, welded hardware. BUDDY BELT is currently available in 5 REGULAR colors: red, black, pink, blue and caramel. Limited Editions referred to as SPECIAL and FANCY colors, vary throughout the year. Matching accent leashes are available for all colors. New accessory items include matching bone-shaped key fobs and small, oval-shaped pet ornament frames. Product pictures can be viewed at www.buddy-belts.com. BUDDY BELTS are very fashionable yet highly functional items. Tel: 416-503-1632