RAWPETDIGEST December 2015/ January2016
IN THIS ISSUE: -Tr an si t i o n i n g y o u r cat t o a r aw d i et : p ar t 2 -A n t i b i o t i cs -Th e i m p o r t an ce o f en zy m es -Ir i d o l o g y -A n d m u ch m o r e! Schat zie and King. Phot o credit : Kim Bl oomer
Raw Pet Digest Editor-in-chief: Kristin Clark Technical editor: Dr. Jeannie (Jeannette) Thomason
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Our mission at Raw Pet Digest is to share information that supports natural health with a broad audience to help improve the lives of our carnivore pets. We believe that only the body is capable of achieving and maintaining true health, but we also believe that there are many things that we can do to help support the body in its quest to maintain balance (health). Raw Pet Digest aims to help educate and inform you about those things so that you can help your pet live a long life and thrive naturally.
DISCLAIMER: All information contained in Raw Pet Digest is intended for educational purposes only. It is not provided in order to diagnose, prevent, or treat any disease, illness, or injured condition of the body or pets, and the author(s), publisher, and contributors accept no responsibility for such use. Anyone or their pets suffering from any disease, illness, or injury should consult with their physician or veterinarian. The statements herein have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Additionally, all views expressed herein by those being interviewed or featured are their own views and do not necessarily represent the views of Raw Pet Digest. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced in any form without the written consent of the author(s) and Editor-in-Chief. The articles herein are for educational purposes only. The decision to use, or not to use, any information is the sole responsibility of the reader.
Midge eating a deer carcass. Photo credit: Bre Altherr
FEATURESAND COLUMNS Letter from the Editor - 4 The Drugging of Our Pets - 5 Transitioning Your Cat to a Species-Appropriate Diet: Part 2 - 8 Antibiotics and Our Pets - 13 An Introduction to Iridology - 18 Enzymes: The Unsung Heroes - 21
Knox and Clarice, English Mastiffs, playing with a sprinkler. Photo credit: Jennifer Lee
Flea and Tick Prevention: Part 1 - 26 Spotlight on Health: Dr. Erin O'Connor - 29 Everything in Moderation - 35 Vaccines: One is Too Many - 39 Five Roads Well Travelled with Noel Socks - 44
Gryphon wrestling with Dexter. Photo credit: Kristin Clark
Letter fromtheEditor As the holiday season rolls around, I find myself in a festive mood. I love the holidays? the cooler temperatures, beautiful decorations, visits with family and friends, and cheerful fires crackling in the fireplace all work together to lift my soul and bring joy to my heart. Throughout the year, but especially at the holiday season, I find myself thinking of all the things for which I am grateful. There are so many? my life is so rich? and this year, I want to add that I am grateful to all of you. Your support of this magazine, and your desire to learn everything you can about how to keep your dogs and cats healthy naturally, means so much to me. Since launching in April, we have gained subscribers all over the world, and lots of you have written to tell me about an article that helped you, or gave you some new insight, or even to tell me that you are learning new things despite having fed your dogs and cats a species-appropriate diet for years. I have learned from your notes to me, and I am so glad that you have learned from the articles in this magazine too. As you think about your blessings this holiday season, I hope you?ll take some time to think about how fortunate your pets are that you are on the road to helping them live more balanced and healthier lives. By supporting them so they can thrive, you are giving them the greatest gift of all. If you?ve made some mistakes in the past, learn from them and then let go of them. To
Kristin with Cleo, Motley, Elle, and Barkley. Photo credit: Adam Gilbert
paraphrase the great Maya Angelou, once we know better we can do better. It?s what you do now that?s important, and small changes can have a big impact. If you haven?t quite made the jump to a species-appropriate diet for your pet, commit to making the switch and then do it. If you?ve been feeding a raw diet for years, take a look at your household cleaners and detergents and make the switch to better, less toxic ones. If you are still using flea and tick medications, or giving heartworm prevention chews to your pets, make the choice to stop using these and instead use more natural methods (we will have an article about natural flea and tick control in the next issue). We at Raw Pet Digest are with you every step of the way, and we will continue to support you in keeping your pets healthy in mind, body, and spirit in the months to come. Until next time, enjoy the issue, and happy holidays.
-Kristin
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THEDRUGGINGOFOURPETS There are an enormous amount of ads for pharmaceutical drugs in every form of media these days for humans. But more recently, those ads and their suppliers are also popping up everywhere for our pets. In fact, pet owners are more than likely mimicking what is happening in human medicine by asking their veterinarians about possible drugs to help this, that, or the other before the veterinarians even know about the available drugs, due to heavy advertising of these drugs. The public at large is therefore being brainwashed into believing that the cure for anything wrong? behaviorally, physically, mentally, emotionally, etc.? can be cured or prevented by a magic bullet in some form of pharmaceutical drug. Interestingly enough, the same ?dis-eases? that seem to be plaguing the human race in increasing numbers seem to also be plaguing our pets. I wonder as I write this if the correlation has anything to do with the rise of drug use in pet and human health? Let ?s t ake a l ook a cl oser l ook at t hat . Stuart Close, author of The Genius of Homeopathy, would say absolutely yes if he were alive today. This book is an in-depth look into the philosophy of homeopathy according to its founder, Dr. Samuel Hahnemann; disease; the whole premise behind what creates dis-ease or disharmony within the body; and how applied homeopathy works to resolve those dis-harmonies. He states in the book that many of the so-called diseases today
are a product of drugs. When you understand that homeopathy works upon the principle of like curing like? a bit of the hair of the dog that bit you cures you? then it stands to reason that when we try and treat imbalances in the body with abnormal, synthetic ingredients in the form of drugs that follow the law of opposites, we only create more dis-ease, or imbalance, within the body. In other words, the more drugs that are used, the more dis-ease that is created within the body. The majority of the modern diseases are drug-induced disease. Modern medicine, however, doesn?t view things in terms of laws of cure or any other law; rather, it denies the existence of these laws. The focus is instead on killing the germ, even if it ultimately kills the patient. The goal is to always suppress or deny the symptoms their outlet, believing the suppression of the symptom IS the cure. That translates into more and more drugs being needed for the many symptoms that begin to show up as the body fights to bring itself back into balance against all odds, until it finally surrenders to the various ?cures? and dies. But hardly anyone is recognizing this for what it is, least of all the majority of pet owners. That?s because we think of symptoms as the dis-ease instead of the body?s alarm system warning of a root cause, which is what should be addressed. But why? Most people have no idea what health really is any longer. They do not understand the laws of health for themselves and certainly not for 5
their pets, because they have surrendered all responsibility for their health and that of their pets to the medical industry. So what is heal t h? Dictionary.com gives these definitions, which go well with a holistic viewpoint: 1. the general condition of the body or mind with reference to soundness and vigor: good health; poor health. 2. soundness of body or mind; freedom from disease or ailment: to have one?s health; to lose one?s health.
maintain internal stability, owing to the coordinated response of its parts to any situation or stimulus tending to disturb its normal condition or function. By constantly giving more and more drugs to our pets, we keep the body permanently out of balance, forcing the body to work all the harder to try and maintain its internal stability. This eventually does wear out the entire innate immune system, leaving the body completely vulnerable.
3. vigor; vitality
So the drugs we are all seeking out to help our pets be well are instead actually the catalysts to further illness.
I?d add that the body is always seeking to remain in balance (homeostasis). The definition of homeostasis is: the tendency of a system, esp. the physiological system of higher animals, to
Drugs (which also include any of the flea, tick, and heartworm medications, as well as vaccines) are all abnormal substances, synthetic in many cases, which the body
Schatzie, a Carolina Dog. Photo credit: Kim Bloomer
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recognizes only as toxins that need to be removed. Plus, these substances upset the normal and proper alkaline/ acid balance in the body; higher acid levels contribute to increased imbalance. As the definition of the word homeostasis points out, the body works to maintain internal stability, and yet we constantly keep it imbalanced with all these drugs, vaccines, and pesticides. It?s no wonder our pets are not thriving and that the incidence of dis-ease has so greatly increased. So what can a pet owner do?
Secondly, whenever a drug, vaccine, or parasite control product is recommended for your pet by a veterinarian, ask for the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) and/ or an informed consent sheet so you will have all the facts before deciding to subject your pet to something that may hinder good health rather than promote it. Lastly, after you?ve taken the initiative to learn about what health really is and have weighed all the odds, you can make an informed decision based on those facts for your pet. You may decide the risk of the drug is worth it in helping your pet, or you may decide that a slower, more sure natural way is the route you?d rather go.
First and foremost, become informed about how to keep your pet healthy naturally by following the laws of health, which include No matter what you decide, make sure you are species-appropriate nutrition, fresh air, informed first. sunshine sans sunscreen (daily if possible), -By Dr. Kim Bloomer pure water that is free of chlorine and fluoride, Dr. Kim Bloomer is a certified animal naturopath consulting on exercise daily, proper good rest, and canine and feline nutrition and wellness. In addition, Dr. Kim is a temperance. And if that seems too daunting, proficient blogger, writer, speaker, and presenter on natural pet care, then work with an animal naturopath to help as well as the Co-Founder of the American Council of Animal Naturopathy. She is the author/ co-author of three books, including guide you so that you can make informed Animals Taught Me That and Essential Oils in Animal Care: A Naturopathic Approach (co-authored with two of her colleagues). Dr. decisions for your pets. Kim?s articles have been featured in various publications in both print and online. Visit her website at www.AspenbloomPetCare.com.
Knox, an English Mastiff, with llamas behind him. Photo credit: Jennifer Lee
Motley, a Portuguese Podengo Pequeno mix, taking a break during a hike. Photo credit: Kristin Clark
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TRANSITIONINGYOURCATTOA SPECIES-APPROPRIATEDIET: PART2
Beautiful black cat. Photo credit: Tracy Dion
Want t o swit ch your cat t o a raw diet ? Here?s how! This is Part 2 of a three-part series. Part 1 (found in the August/September 2015 issue of Raw Pet Digest) covered the basics of transitioning, and Part 3 will discuss switching to prey model and whole prey diets. This section will cover the details of transitioning to a commercial or homemade ground diet. (For information on creating these raw diets, see the website www.CatCentric.org!) As I mentioned in Part 1, it?s often difficult to answer generic raw feeding transition questions due to the variables unique to each cat owner?s situation. And it?s pretty much impossible to create a precise ?1-2-3 Steps to Transition? that will work for every cat. What I can do, however, is create a guideline loaded with tips that can be adapted to your particular circumstances.
Take a chance First thing? Go ahead and offer your cat a plate of ground raw. If she takes it, then you?re good to go and can begin feeding raw right away. Many cats need a gradual transition, but some take to raw like they?ve been waiting all their lives for it. Give your kitty the chance to dive right in! This is especially true for younger cats. Young cats and kittens haven?t yet had their ?tastes? distorted by canned or kibble product textures and (overly pungent) odors and often take to raw foods quite readily. Note: If at all possible, kittens should be weaned directly to prey model or whole prey meals so they don?t have to relearn how to eat later when you?re ready to upgrade from ground raw. If your cat doesn?t accept the raw right away, then you can move into your transitioning plan.
Cat eating a plate of ground raw food. Photo credit: Tracy Dion
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Ease your way int o it At this point, you should have already accustomed your cat to eating three to four scheduled meals a day and you should, of course, be feeding her on a flat plate (to respect those delicate whiskers). This is critical? if you do not close the 24/7 kibble buffet before you start transitioning your kitty to raw, you will be undermining all of your efforts to get her on a healthy diet and setting you and your kitty up to fail. To begin the transition, roll the ground raw into a pea-sized ball and put it on the side of the plate next to your cat?s regular food, then put her plate down. Leave the plate down for 30 minutes to give her a chance to try the raw out of curiosity, then take it up and throw it away. Even if she ignores the raw completely, having it there will acquaint her with the sight and smell of it, and over time, she will begin to associate it with food. Buy or make several different batches of the raw and rotate through them just as you do (or should be doing) with her regular meals. You can also just mix the ground raw right into your cat?s regular canned or kibble food, but you?ll need to be watchful with this method. Some cats will eat around the raw if they can, and some will refuse to eat the mixed food altogether. Skipping one or two meals a week shouldn?t cause any issues, but missing too many meals? especially if your cat is overweight? can cause hepatic lipidosis, a life-threatening disease. So you can?t use hunger to force your cat to eat something new, and you shouldn?t let her skip multiple meals or go more than a day without eating. If she won?t eat the mixed food over one or two meals, either give her what she will eat and offer the raw on the side, or offer both the regular food and some mixed food at every meal.
A smiling kitty cat. Photo credit: Tracy Dion
Transitioning your cat should be a relaxed affair for both of you, not a trial. Note: It?s a good idea to weigh your cat weekly during the transition to be sure she isn?t losing too much weight, or losing weight too quickly. Any loss exceeding 1-2% of her body weight per week is too much! After a few days to a week, most cats will be eating the little balls of raw, whether separately or mixed in. If your cat is not, however, don?t despair. Just accept that you?ll be throwing some food away and keep patiently offering it to her. The longest I?ve personally seen a cat ignore that dollop of raw food was 29 days, but I?ve read accounts of longer periods. The key here is patience...however long it takes for her to try that first bite is however long it takes. Once she?s eating that one pea-sized ball of raw regularly for a few days, add another pea-sized ball. A few days after she?s eating both of those at most meals, add a third. Start reducing the regular food while you continue to slowly increase the amount of raw until you are feeding all raw. Remember not to pressure the cat. Switch at her pace, and if she starts 10
balking at the amount of new food, just back up a step or two. A little back and forth is to be expected, so don?t let it get you down. Even cats that readily gulp down raw the first time it?s offered will sometimes refuse it later. This is part of the transition process! Just take a step back in the transition, hold steady for a few meals, and then continue on with the transition.
Many cats don?t care for cold food, so take the chill off by mixing in a teaspoon of warm water or putting it in a plastic bag and floating it in a bowl of warm water for 10 minutes or so. Think mouse body temperature! (Don?t microwave her raw food? you?ll destroy some of the nutrients that make fresh foods so healthy in the first place.)
A relaxed and patient approach is critical to a successful transition, but there are many ways to help support and speed up the process.
Using the tips of your fingers and your nails, stroke your cat around her neck and shoulders and down her back while she?s in front of the food bowl. Some cats will be stimulated to eat when petted like this. Bribe your kitty into eating by sprinkling enticements over the new food. Some proven options to try: catnip, grated Parmesan Cheese, Forti Flora flakes, fish food flakes, bonito flakes, or crumbled up freeze-dried or dehydrated meat treats (Whole Life?s freeze-dried chicken treats are irresistible to most cats). Note: Forti Flora contains animal digest and other ingredients that may upset an IBD kitty?s tummy.
Tips and t ricks t o support t he t ransit ion Here?s a list of things you can do to encourage your kitty to accept her new and improved menu: Draw out your cat?s hunting instinct by engaging her in interactive play sessions with fishing pole-type toys (like ?Da Bird?) for a few minutes, ending the play by allowing her to ?catch the prey? and then replacing the toy with her food. This will stimulate her appetite and prime her for eating. (As an added benefit, interactive play improves the bond between the two of you and reduces feline stress levels.)
Young cats sitting on a table. Š Schwarzrex1 | Dreamstime.com
You can also drip a bit of water-packed canned tuna juice or sprinkle crushed-up Temptation treats over it, but be careful to
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