|
See my Supporting
the Immune System page for many suggestions on doing so. Included
on that page are links to a site which carries products created by Mary Wulff-Tilford and Gregory L Tilford, highly respected herbologists who have
written books about the use of herbs for animals.
Following are all natural supplements I've used
with my animal friends or which have come highly recommended by others. [See
Horse products and Bird
products for those species.]
Natural Wormers See the
Herbal Worm Formula at Molly's Herbals
http://fiascofarm.com/herbs/wormer.htm.
For Arthritis, Hip Dysplasia, Joint
Problems, Tissue Injuries
See Fresh Factors on my
Springtime, Inc. page.
800-521-3212. While the product is
marketed for dogs, the company states it can be used in cats as well at the
same dose recommended for a dog of comparable weight. This product contains
kelp, biotin, bee pollen, pork liver and other good things.
Doggone Pain joint
formula, www.doggonepain.com This
herbal formula supports joint function, enhances mobility and demeanor, and
brings out the puppy in your dog. You can purchase it at that site (click on
the Order DGP Now oval) or Petco and other local pet stores.
Essential Oils
Check out my Essential Oils page. Young
Living essential oils can help alleviate pain.
Homeopathy is another alternative; there are
several remedies which can be very helpful with nerve and joint pain,
swelling, tenderness etc. Consult with a homeopathic veterinarian for
this option, because homeopathy is an art and can be improperly used by the
layperson with no training. See the Cancer Care
page for more information.
An article about
treating arthritis naturally can be found at
http://www.altvetmed.com/pages/articles.html.
For General Health
-
Probiotic/Food Enzymes/Vitamin and Mineral
Supplements
Probiotics are the beneficial bacterial which live in the intestinal tract;
a good range is 20-30 million Culture Forming Units (CFUs) per day for a
debilitated animal; less for a healthy animal.
They are necessary for keeping stools normal, optimal digestion, reducing
gas and bad breath, suppressing Candida (yeast), and minimizing intestinal
disorders, among other benefits. Food enzymes aid the digestion and
assimilation of food, and are missing from the majority of kibbles.
Pancreatic insufficiency results in a lack of enzymes manufactured by the
body. Signs of this can include stool eating, difficulty maintaining weight
despite a large appetite, large stools, incomplete digestion of food.
“Degenerative disease, and cancer in particular, has been linked to enzyme
deficiencies by researchers at the universities in
London,
Wales, Wisconsin, Loyola and Yale Medical School. Cooked food is almost
completely deficient in enzymes, which are destroyed during the processing.
. . . Cooked food makes the pancreas work harder.” [The Holistic Guide
for a Healthy Dog, Wendy Volhard and Kerry Brown, DVM]
For
an excellent article by Martin Zucker, DVM, entitled "Why Your Pets Need
Vitamin and Mineral Supplements,
see
http://www.goodpet.com/library/giovams.html
Dogzymes [great for other species too!] by Nature’s Farmacy,
www.naturesfarmacy.com,
800-733-4981 Dogzymes
is a digestive enzyme and probiotic product that I think is great! It
contains 8 strains of beneficial bacteria, vs. the 2 strains in Fastrack.
The ingredients are microencapsulated for extended shelf life. It contains
an ingredient which helps break down air bubbles, which is important in
the prevention of bloat in dogs. It also contains the enzymes needed to
help with digestive activity, so that nutrients from food are better
utilized. Dogzymes can be given to many species (cats, birds, rabbits
etc.). Please check out this product. It can be especially helpful for
animals with digestive troubles, skin problems, allergies and other health
issues.
EnzymePro: EnzymePro has
Pancreatin 6X in
it, a digestive enzyme needed for animals suffering from pancreatic
insufficiency. This may exhibit as weight loss, inability to maintain a
healthy weight on normal amounts of food, diarrhea or soft stools . . . . I haven't found another enzyme product which contains Pancreatin in it; note though that it does not contain probiotics like
Dogzymes does, so you'll have to supplement with a probiotic product (or give
Dogzymes along with it). Order from KV Vet Supply,
www.kvvet.com 800-423-8211. You'll have
to call to order it because it isn't listed on the site. This digestive aid is a food
enzyme blend which assists with proper digestion of food, whether kibble
or raw. For
a great article on pancreatic insufficiency, see
http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_exocrine_pancreatic_insufficie.html.
Nupro (for cats
and dogs): A super product containing vitamins, minerals, amino
acids, digestive enzymes, essential fatty acids and probiotics. This
product helps with problems like dry, itchy skin, arthritis, poor
digestion, allergies, diseases, stress and more. They also have a joint
health formula for dogs which contains those ingredients plus glucosamine,
MSN and Ester-C chelated mineral blend. As well, they offer an electrolyte
product for animals suffering from dehydration (good to have along on a
hot summer's day, when the animal is suffering physical stress, or for
animals that may have diarrhea or vomiting, to replace lost fluids). I
feed Nupro nuggets to my cat and the Nupro Joint Support to my dogs and
highly recommend it.
www.nuprosupplements.com, 800-360-3300.
Digestive Tract Problems: Natural Rearing (http://www.naturalrearing.com)
has a product called Tree Bark gruel. I've been told it's excellent for use
with weaning puppies and good for stomach upsets. It is very balancing
and soothing, and seems to work well with puppies especially. It includes
slippery elm, arrowroot and other herbs. Slippery elm is very soothing
to the gut and helps solidify loose stools. It is is a very nourishing food
and good for canine and human babies. I believe the recommended dose is 1/4
tsp. per 10 lb. of body weight per day. A little more won't hurt them,
as the woman who told me about Slippery Elm says that she's given more, with
no side effects.
 BioPreparation – an AMAZING supplement! [the following is from Russell Louie, President of Optimum Choices,
LLC] Let’s start first with some basics of animal digestion. Animals swallow
food. Enzymes are then released by their pancreas and combine with the live
food enzymes in their small intestine. The food is broken down into nutrients
(e.g., vitamins, amino acids, proteins) and then absorbed by villi in the
small intestines. The two most important factors in this process are to first,
start with wholesome foods that contain all the essential amino acids,
vitamins, essential fatty acids, trace minerals and protein necessary for the
animal’s body. And, second, to have enough live enzymes to break down the
food; otherwise absorption of nutrients cannot take place.
Why are enzymes important to our animal companions? Without enzymes animals
will age faster and they will get the degenerative diseases so prevalent in
humans today such as arthritis, diabetes, irritable bowel syndrome, tumors and
cancer. A second fact is that all cooked food is lacking enzymes because heat
kills live enzymes. If one feeds their animal companion canned food and dry
kibbles exclusively, their animal will eventually be depleted of the live
enzymes needed to break down their food. That is why they need supplements
containing enzymes added to all their cooked food.
Where do wild animals normally get live enzymes? Algae are one source. Algae
are literally a film that covers the earth. Algae are present in natural
sources of water such as a pond or stream. Algae are in the soil and grow on
trees and plants. Some algae contain over 4,000 live enzymes. Algae stimulate
animal’s digestion, immune system, detoxify their body, enhance growth and
tissue repair, and accelerate healing. In addition, algae help prevent
degenerative disease, and promote longer life. They also have a very
beneficial effect on arthritis and hormonal disorders.
Dogs and cats have a shorter digestive tract than humans. BioPreparation
customizes human-grade algae to meet their requirement for quicker absorption.
1. BP is freeze-dried at a lower temperature and broken down more for quicker
absorption in animals.
2. BP is ground to a finer powder for faster assimilation by animals.
3. BP uses a uses higher grade of algae for more antioxidant power in animals.
BioPreparation is a revolutionary new concept in holistic nutrition.
BioPreparation does not treat symptoms. BioPreparation energizes and feeds the
master glands of the brain. When the master glands in the brain are totally
balanced, the body naturally and holistically balances all the other glands
and organs and symptoms magically disappear.
Some of the first benefits our animal guardians notice are:
• Shiner coats
• Silkier fur
• Animals have more energy
• Animals have more flexibility
One customer reports: We gave this to our elderly 17 year old cat that was
dying of kidney disease and saw an amazing improvement after just a couple of
days on it. She had more energy and was more like her "old" self.
MAL
Another testimonial: Snowpea was supposed to have $2,000 worth of surgery for
hind legs/arthritis and so far has been doing better and demonstrates more
flexibility. No surgery plans.
CB
A third testimonial: We found out that Connie, is hypothyroid, an unusual
condition for cats, which accounts for her obesity. We used your bio-algae
supplements and have seen her energy level and appetite improve. After three
months on your bio-algae supplement her thyroid values tested absolutely
normal. Her weight has stayed the same, yet she actually looks skinnier,
showing us that her fat is being replaced by muscle.
MAL
Another: We had one cat that was constantly licking a red sandstone rock. We
surmised the cat was deficient in minerals. The cat got worse, stopped eating
and was near death because he was not manufacturing white blood cells. We gave
the cat your bio-algae supplement and he immediately perked up. Today he is
fully recovered and gaining weight. We concluded the bio-algae supplement,
being one cell organisms, was easier for the cat to assimilate and absorb the
nutrients he needed than his normal food. KSM
I saved the most amazing testimonial for last: One customer’s dog had a mast
cell cancer tumor partially removed. The tumor was only partially removed to
save the paw. After giving only one pinch to ½ capsule per day the remaining
tumor was reduced by 50% after only two weeks. We gradually increased the dose
to 1.5 capsules after ten weeks and saw the tumor completely disappear and
hair has now grown back over the area.
To learn more about Optimum Choices’ BioPreparation, visit www.OptimumChoices.com
and click on the [Products] button then [Supplements] button and finally the [Spirulina]
button. Or simply search on the word “BioPreparation.” Or you can call
toll-free at 866-305-2306 or send e-mail to
info@OptimumChoices.com.
Raw Diet Supplement
Knowbetterdogfood.com carries cat raw
feeding supplements too. These folks have come up with Better in the Raw
(without liver or grains) and My Master’s Choice (with
liver but no grains), two fabulous dry ingredient bases to add to a dog's
water, raw meat and vegetables so that you don’t have to try to figure out how
much of what supplements to give. This goes the same for the Instincts
TC cat food (to which you add raw meat) which they carry for making a
feline raw diet. This can make feeding a raw diet a lot easier. The resulting
food, prepared in accordance with instructions, is a complete and balanced
diet for dogs and cats of all ages. When feeding these products, no additional
food or vitamin and mineral supplements of any kind are required. Try one of
these products for 3 months and see the difference in your dog or cat!
www.knowbetterdogfood.com
One Stop Shopping
Healthy Pets Northwest
www.healthypetsnw.com has a great
selection of natural pet foods and supplements, treats, books, natural flea
products and shampoos and more. They carry Animal's Apawthecary brand and many
other top of the line products including Halo, Ark Naturals and Merritt
Naturals, Flint River Ranch pet foods, and products for eyes, ears and nose
care. Order on-line or visit their two stores in Portland, Oregon.
Wellbeings.com
www.wellbeings.com carries holistic
foods and supplements, grooming supplies, keepsakes and memorials, books and
more. They take special interest in senior pets. They carry products
like the Tilfords’ herbal line, Animal Essentials, Animal’s Apawthecary, Ark
Naturals, Eagle Pack Holistic, Dr. Harvey’s, Halo, Wellness and more. They
also have informative articles on their site that are worth reading.
Stress/Anxiety
Stressfree Calmplex
www.springtimeinc.com 800-521-3212, or
Nutricalm
www.rxvitamins.com/pets/nutricalm.asp
Fatty Tumors A piece of information I
received but haven't tried: Chromium Picolinate is a fat grabber. Another
supplement is Gugulipid which lowers serum lipids and cholesterols.
Bee Products
Raw (unprocessed) Honey Honey contains several important minerals and
has the ability to kill bacteria. It can be used for dressing wounds and
burns to keep them sterile and promote healing. Dark honey is more effective than the
light version. According to Volhard and Brown, “Can be used externally for
treatment of skin disorders, especially effective with burns. Internally,
for sinus problems, coughing, sore throats, digestive upsets, and most
importantly, bringing a dog in shock around.” (As such, it can be
helpful to the hypoglycemic dog or cat.) Use ¼ tsp. (small dog) to 1 T. daily (80
lb. dog). For shock, give 1 T. (80 lb. dog). The easiest way to do this is
to keep the honey in a squirt bottle. In addition, honey contains pollens,
which can help desensitize the animal to allergies. Be sure to purchase
dark, locally harvested honey so that it contains local pollens. It is
helpful for dogs who have digestive system problems, as it contains two
enzymes. Use honey in addition to an enzyme product for dogs or cats with
digestive issues.
Propolis Very antiviral and antibacterial. Research is underway regarding how it may help combat
cancer. This compound comes from resin in trees. Bees use it as a crack
sealer to prevent drafts and moisture from getting into the hive. Bees can
mummify a mouse that wanders into the hive with this compound. Propolis can
be found at health food stores; many people use this as an aid to healing
(for instance, it kills the bacteria H. Pylori, one of the bacterium
responsible for stomach ulcers).
For more information on bee products for
pets: see
http://www.pets4life.com/art13.html; about bee pollen:
http://www.envirobee.com/beepollen.htm
|
